350 ousted workers of 108 ambulance service detained

DEHRADUN: As many as 350 ousted workers of 108 ambulance service were detained on Tuesday while marching towards the secretariat. The agitated employees have been demanding that they be reinstated back into the workforce.
While the agitating employees were released shortly, the protesters demanded that they be sent to jail in a bid to turn the government’s attention towards their plight. Vinod Pawar, vice president of the ousted 108 employees union, told TOI “When we attempted to cross the barricades, the cops lathicharged us. Then we were detained in Suddhowala jail for few hours and were released later. But now, we demand that police file an FIR against us and send us to jail. Maybe then the government will pay heed to our genuine complaints.”
SP (city) Shweta Chaubey said the protesters were detained as their march was causing traffic jam. She also said that no one was hurt during the laticharge.
“We have detained them to ensure that nothing untoward incident happens,” she said. The march comes a day after around 35 ousted staffers of 108 ambulances tonsured their heads in a protest against alleged delayed action by the government towards their demand of job. They also announced to start violent protests if the government does not take immediate action.
Around 700 of ex-108 employees have been protesting in Dehradun since April after the government ended the contract of GVK-EMRI, with whom these protestors were employed with, and the operations was handed over to CAMP company.
Reportedly, the new firm is offering less salary to the experienced workers, which has triggered the protest