Civic employees’ three-day protest demonstration concludes

Correspondent

Silchar, Feb 10: It is an irony that municipal employees and workers, who serve relentlessly and is an important department in a state or district, are facing a lot of problems which needs to be addressed at the earliest. The three day protest demonstration staged by the employees and workers of Silchar Municipal Board along with 68 other municipal boards and 23 town communities of the state, has concluded today. The protest demonstration that began on Wednesday morning has shown a grim picture of the condition of the employees, both permanent and contractual, of the board. Their long term demands, provincialization, clearing of arrear money, regular pay and amendment in shifting pattern, have not been fulfilled yet.

It has been alleged by the members of the board that government has not paid the salary to the employees till 2014 as per the recommendation of the sixth pay commission and thus the employees are being paid the salary as per fifth pay commission’s recommendation.   The union leaders said that the employees of the municipal boards and corporations are deprived of their pensions as well as dues as the bill was not tabled in the Assembly. They held the state government responsible for not tabling the bill.    

The workers have been working without any remuneration since 16 months. Despite taking the matter to the higher authorities, justice has been not done yet. It is pertinent to mention here that employees of other municipal workers are receiving their salary on regular basis, whereas employees of this State have been deprived of this. In addition to this, a large number of posts are lying vacant, yet it remains vacant. Talking to The Sentinel, Amal Das, executive committee member, said that provincialization of some staff members of this State is not difficult at all.

“Around 5000 to 5200 staff is there who have not been provincialized. The matter of provincialization was passed on September 4, 2013, in the Cabinet meeting of the State Government. Yet, no positive results have come up,” said Amal Das. A large number of heaps of garbage were seen on the streets. Due to the protest, the municipal workers did not collect any amount of garbage for dumping them into the trenching ground. Many people who came for having their work done, returned without getting it done. It should be mentioned here that there are many vacant posts, which can be filled up with contractual workers by making them permanent. But their pleas have been falling on deaf ears. The Government’s apathetic attitude has forced them to stage protest demonstration.