Bongaigaon: A large group of contractual workers under the Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) Department staged a day-long sit-in protest on Friday at the Manikpur Development Block office in Bongaigaon district. Workers from both Bongaigaon and neighbouring Chirang district gathered in front of the office, raising slogans and holding placards as they pressed for long-standing demands related to pay, service conditions, and employment security.
The demonstration was organised to highlight a four-point set of demands that workers say the government has ignored for years. The agitating employees sought an immediate one-time salary hike of ₹30,000, in addition to a mandatory 10% annual increment for all contractual P&RD workers. They also demanded job regularisation for long-serving staff and the introduction of a proper Human Resources (HR) policy to ensure transparency and fair treatment in service matters.
Many workers stated that despite being a crucial part of rural development and welfare programmes, they continue to receive minimal benefits and no job protection. They alleged that contractual workers across Assam have been carrying out essential field duties for the past several years but are repeatedly denied their rightful dues.
Speaking to reporters, Amar Ali, a GRS worker involved in the protest, said, “For the last seven years, we have been working in different villages, supporting rural development projects. Yet we are deprived of basic financial and service benefits every year. We are simply asking for what is fair.”
The workers warned that if their demands are not addressed promptly, they will escalate the protest across different blocks and districts. They appealed to the state government to take immediate steps, stressing that rural development cannot move forward without safeguarding the rights and welfare of ground-level staff.