Hot Mix Plant owners end strike, road blacktopping to resume

Srinagar, Jul 14: Bringing an end to the 15-day deadlock that had stalled road blacktopping works across Kashmir, the Hot Mix Plant Owners Association (HMPO) on Tuesday announced the withdrawal of its strike following a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, saying macadamisation works would resume soon.
Speaking after the meeting, HMPO President Bashir Ahmad Khan said that the Chief Minister gave the delegation a patient hearing and assured them that all major issues raised by the association would be examined and resolved within the next two to three days.
“We are thankful to the Chief Minister for listening to our problems. He also called the Deputy Chief Minister, who holds the Roads and Buildings portfolio, and both patiently heard our concerns. We have been assured that our genuine demands will be considered and a final decision will be taken within two to three days,” Khan said.
He said the association had raised issues related to royalty, liabilities, contractor classification and other matters affecting the functioning of Hot Mix Plant owners.
“The government acknowledged that these are genuine issues. On the assurance given by the Chief Minister, we have decided to call off our strike and resume work immediately,” he said.
Khan expressed hope that the government’s assurance would pave the way for an early resolution of all pending issues and thanked the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister’s Advisory, Nasir Aalam Wani and other leaders and senior officials for facilitating the dialogue.
“We have decided to restart work in the larger public interest. Macadamisation works will begin soon across Kashmir,” he added.
The strike by Hot Mix Plant owners had disrupted the Valley’s road blacktopping programme, delaying implementation of the government’s over Rs 223-crore macadamisation plan covering nearly 559 kilometres of roads during the current financial year.
With the strike now withdrawn, road macadamisation works across Kashmir are expected to resume in the coming days, providing relief to commuters and helping the Roads and Buildings Department make up for lost time during the Valley’s limited construction season. (KNO)