HYDERABAD: The deputy commissioner is said to have requested the divisional commissioner (DC) to refer the matter of occupation of three rooms in the circuit house by Hyderabad Region Additional Police IG Dr Jamil Ahmed to the Sindh IGP and chief secretary, considering its seriousness.

He requested that payment of liabilities against those three rooms might be ensured if deemed appropriate.

Meanwhile, late on Sunday night, the circuit house staff turned down request of the Hyderabad DC to end the boycott of work and continued their protest on fifth consecutive day.

The DC wrote a letter on April 2, a copy of which was sent to the DIG Police of Hyderabad Range, deputy secretary (staff) to the chief secretary and deputy secretary to the Sindh chief minister. “Yes, the DC has written a letter to the commissioner,” said a police source. In fact the ball was in administration’s court as they had to take a decision in that regard, he added.

A delegation of staff led by Sajjan Khaskheli, general secretary provincial works and services department union (CBA), met the DC at his official residence. The DC met them in view of the suspension of services in the local circuit house and its annexe since April 3 and the anticipated arrival of the federal railways minister.

Khaskheli said he told the DC that the staff could start work right then, but who was going to assure that they would not be humiliated, beaten and insulted at the hands of AIG’s sons. He said that he told the DC that booking of rooms for the AIG’s family should be cancelled and FIR should be lodged for the incident of humiliation of three workers, Raheem Bux, Waqar and Amman Lal.

Three lower cadre employees deputed in the circuit house were humiliated by AIG’s sons on April 3. Two of them were also tied with a tree while the third one was locked in a room.

“Who will be responsible that no harm will come to us? Therefore, we will continue our boycott till it is settled,” he said, adding that the DC had told him to arrange a meeting of the staff with the commissioner of Hyderabad on Monday morning.

It was learnt that Assistant Commissioner (rural) taluka Qandeel Fatima Memon also said to have sent a communication regarding accumulating liabilities towards three rooms against AIG Dr Jamil Ahmed since Aug 28.

When contacted, the DC told Dawn that he had requested the staff to start working and they could keep services for those three rooms in question suspended till matter was resolved.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2021