Haryana Brick Kiln Owners Decide to Close Kilns

Haryana Brick Kiln Owners Decide to Close Kilns.

SIRSA NEWS ( www.SirsaNews.com )

24 June, 2010

All pictures can be mouse clicked to enlarge. Pictures & Videos: Amar Singh Jyani, Amit Soni, GS Mann

HARYANA BRICK KILN OWNERS DECIDE TO CLOSE KILNS. SALES TAX DEPT.

CAUSING HEAVY LOSSES TO HARYANA EXCHEQUER

The district Sirsa Brick kiln owners association has decided to support and join the Haryana Brick owners Association’s decision to close their ‘Bhattas’ for an indefinite period in protest against what they allege the step motherly treatment at the hands of the concerned Haryana Govt. officials especially the Sales Department as well as the menace created by the “Lal Jhanda Bhatta Mazdoor Unions which are not only exploiting the poor Batta labourers but also creating all sort of obstacles in the functioning of the brick kilns. This was stated by Bhim Jhuntra the president of the District Sirsa brick kiln Association while addressing media persons here yesterday. He said that it was unanimously decided by the Haryana state BKO Association in its meeting held at Sonepat on 9.5.2010 that all the Bhattas in the state would stop functioning from the next seasons till the state Govt. comes to their rescue and saves them from the day to day difficulties being faced by the BKOs ( Brick kiln owners) He alleged that the worst tormenters are the Lal Jhanda Union people who every season extract Rs. 100/- from every Bhatta labourer under the pretext of safeguarding their interests and to save them from the exploitation of the BKOs., but in fact it is they who exploit both the labourers as well as the BKOs. They also pressurize the concerned authorities to fix higher and higher wages for the Bhatta labourers to extort maximum from them later. He also alleged that these Lal Jhanda leaders always threaten the BKO that they would bring the police as they are keeping bonded labourers where as there are not even any boundary walls around the Bhattas which are being run in the open, all the labourers are paid huge amounts in advance which are later adjusted. He alleged that the district Sirsa Sales tax department in collusion with the Brick kiln owners of the contiguous Punjab areas is allowing to smuggle their bricks in Sirsa district and causing huge losses to public exchequer through Tax evasion as also heavy financial losses to the local BKOs. He said that the Kilns would remain closed till their just demands were not sorted out by the State Govt.