Over 40 unemployed youth briefly detained during protest in Jammu

Over 40 unemployed youth were briefly detained during a protest demonstration in support of their demand for recruitment in Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) here, officials said.

Separately, a group of health workers also staged a protest in the heart of the city in support of their demand for their regularization and Minimum Wages Act, they said.

Police detained over 40 BSF and CISF aspirants after they took to streets at Dogra chowk and tried to block the main Tawi bridge on Jammu-Airport road, the officials said.

Hundreds of aspirants have been regularly holding protests in different parts of the city over the past one year after they failed to get jobs during a recruitment drive by BSF and CISF, the result of which was declared in February last year.

They have been demanding enhancement of the vacancies to provide them employment as they have cleared all the rounds required to obtain the jobs. They even staged protests for over two months last year outside the local office of the BJP.

"We have already crossed the age limit to stand a chance for recruitment in future," said Vishal, one of the protesters.

In the nearby Press Club, health workers wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) staged a peaceful demonstration on the main road, demanding their regularization and their coverage under the Minimum Wages Act.

"We have been working in different hospitals for the last 20 years, getting a meagre salary of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 under hospital development fund (HDF)," one of the protesters said.

He said they have come on the road to highlight their demand for regularization of their services and implementation of the Minimum Wages Act.