Dharmarth Trust employees celebrate Lohri as Black Day

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Dharmarth Trust employees, who are on protest from last 44 days and chain hunger strike from last 17 days, celebrated Lohri as Black Day as a mark of protest against Dharmarth Trust management for not fulfilling their demands.
A large number of employees including Pujaris of all temples under Dharmarth Trust assembled in Ranbireshwar Temple and raised slogans against Dharmarth Trust management for its failure to resolve issues.
The employees were demanding constitution of Board for all temples presently under Dharmarth Trust on pattern of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.
A number of employees including priests from various units of the trust such as Shri Raghunath Mandir, Hari Bhawan Purmandal, Uttar Behani, Birpur and Central Office Karan Bhawan and Sudh Mahadev also participated in the protest.
Those who sat on chain hunger strike included Om Parkash, Rajat Kumar, Bablu Singh, Pt Ashwani Sharma, Pt Deep Sharma, Pritam Chand, Vinod Sharma, Ajay Kumar, Sachin Kumar and Pardeep Singh.
Speaking on the occasion, Working President Rajinder Shastri demanded CBI enquiry in misappropriation of funds and property by persons having control on Dharmarth Trust. He said that Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, in a meeting with protesting employees’ representatives on January 10, assured that a committee shall be constituted to look into the matter, but till today no official announcement has been made. “The trust management is using its powers and a dictatorial attitude against employees to disturb smooth agitation, resulting in strong discontentment among employees,” he alleged.
Demanding Shrine Board for running proper and fairly management for Dharmarth temples, he said all the employees have decided that they will not work under present management and shall continue their strike till fulfilling of all their demands. He requested to LG to issue ordinance to constitute public board for temples under Dharmarth Trust so that an amicably solution can be find out.
Those who were present in the protest included ex-President Kernail Chand Thakur, ex-General Secretary Pritam Sharma, Sunit Sharma, Subash, Pt Parshotam, Pt Brijmohan Sharma, Pt Om Parkash, Pt Rampal, Pt Balwant Shastri, Vimal Khajuria, Sat Paul, Pawan, Deepu, Rinku, Makhnu, Jivan, Bushan, Sonali, Renu, Anju, Sheetal, Sonika, Sukeshni, Rita Salathia, Rekha, Harbans Lal, Surjeet Singh, Parshotam Sharma, Ram Paul Sharma, Jagjeet Chand, Sahil Sharma, Pt Babu Bishambar Lal, Reeta Salathia, Raj Kumari, Leela Devi, Sheetal, Rajani, Shobha, Nisha and Sonika.