Two hunger strikers hospitalized

CHITRAL, June 22: Two of the six employees of Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), on a hunger strike for the last seven days, were rushed to the DHQ hospital after they fainted and their blood pressure plunged to a dangerous level here on Friday. Doctors in the hospital said the condition of the two admitted to the hospital was stable. The operators of road-making machinery started the hunger strike against non-payment of their monthly salaries for the last 18 months. They also contended that they were employed by the defunct district council as machine operators and their services were shifted to the TMA after devolution of power in the year 2001 but their services were not regularized. They said they were no more eligible to get any government service as they have been rendered over age but the TMA on the other hand, is paying them only 4,000 rupees as monthly salary without any other allowances. They complained that even this trifling amount has been denied to them for the last eighteen months consecutively resulting starvation in their homes while they have also withdrawn their children from the schools for want of money. The TMA employees started their hunger strike in the secretariat road a week ago but have so far failed to draw the attention of the government to take notice of their plight.–Zahiruddin]]>