Rally against increase in fuel price

LAHORE: Hundreds of electric workers held a rally here on Wednesday under All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union CBA expressing concern over impact of rising petrol prices, almost Rs32 per litre within three months, devaluation of rupee and increasing price of dollars and price hike.

They demanded the government control the prices of essential commodities and check hoarders and profiteers. The procession was taken out from Bakhtiar Labour Hall Lahore and was led by Trade Union leader Khurshid Ahmed, general-secretary, and participated by Haji Muhammad Younas Kamboh, Rana Abdul Shakoor, Osama Tariq, Muzaffar Mateen, Haji Lateef, Haji Maqsood, Rana Muhammad Akram and others.

The workers were carrying national flags and banners in support of their demands. They demanded the government recover foreign deposits from the elite of the nation and impose taxes them since 80pc taxpayers are wage earners and demanded raise in wages and pension of the workers in public and private sectors in the forthcoming federal and provincial budgets and bring the contract workers employed in public and private sector on regular basis and raise pension of workers engaged in private sector Rs5,200 to Rs15,000 and restore their medical facilities.

LHWs: The Integrated Reproductive Mother, Newborn Child Health Programme (IRMNCH) project director has said that all the genuine demands of LHWs and LHSs have already been met by the government.

According to handout issued here on Wednesday, IRMNCH Project Director Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed said that Finance Department had released the funds for the payment of the arrears to the LHWs while their service rules had also been notified. Working on their service structure is also being done and very soon it would also be notified, he added. Dr Mukhtar Hussain said the salaries of LHWs/LHSs had been paid to them up to February.

Talking about the death of a LHW, the IRMNCH project director said that LHW Ms Shazia Shaheen from BHU of Baadsha, Chakwal district, was a patient of epilepsy and, during the sit-i of LHWs, she suffered attack of the disease. She was removed to hospital and after proper treatment, she went home.