P&RD Contractual Employees Stage Two-Day Sit-In Protest in Darrang

Mangaldoi: The All Assam Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) Contractual Employees' Development Council, backed by the Darrang District Committee, undertook a two-day sit-in protest at the premises of the Darrang Zilla Parishad on Tuesday and Wednesday. The protesters pressed for a number of long-pending demands on pay and service security, besides policy reforms.

More than a hundred contractual employees held the protest, demanding a one-time salary hike with immediate effect to ensure at least Rs 30,000 per month. They urged “equal pay for equal work,” adding that the remuneration at present does not represent the workload they bear. A permanent annual salary increase of at least 10 per cent was also sought by the protestors to cope with the increasing cost of living.

One of the major focuses of the protest was job security. The workers demanded that the government ensure employment up to the age of 60 years, which they termed as a justified recognition of the years the employees have given to the Panchayat and Rural Development system.

The council further reiterated the dire need for a systematic Human Resource Policy related to contract employees. They asserted that this would bring clarity in service conditions, safeguarding workers’ rights and smoothing administrative procedures. Demonstrators mentioned that the lack of an appropriate HR setup has been a contributing factor to repeated unrest and discontent among the workers.

The two-day demonstration calls on the state government to address their demands without further delay, warning that prolonged neglect in this matter may lead to intensified state-wide agitation in the days ahead.

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