BALURGHAT: Contractual workers engaged in the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) project in South Dinajpur district staged a protest on Thursday evening alleging that they have not received their salaries for the past six months.
The agitating workers gathered in front of the gate of the South Dinajpur Zilla Parishad office in Balurghat on Thursday evening and staged a demonstration demanding immediate clearance of their pending wages. The protesters claimed that despite submitting written complaints earlier to the District Magistrate, the Zilla Parishad and other concerned departments, no action had been taken to resolve the issue.
As part of their protest, the workers also locked the office room of the agency under which they are employed. The situation created tension in the area for some time.
On receiving information, police from Balurghat Police Station rushed to the spot. The situation was later brought under control following police intervention. The protesting workers warned that if their dues are not cleared soon, they would launch a larger movement in the coming days.
Speaking on the issue, protester Kamran Ali Sarkar said that a total of 68 contractual workers are engaged under the project in South Dinajpur and all of them have been working without pay for the last six months.
“We are involved in field work and pipeline-related tasks under the project. Our salaries vary according to the pay structure—Rs 8,000, Rs 13,200, Rs 16,500 and Rs 19,600. Without receiving our wages for months, it has become extremely difficult for us to run our families,” he said. He further alleged that Rs 300 has been deducted every month from their salaries over the past three years in the name of Provident Fund but the workers have not received any clarification about where the money has been deposited.
“We have informed the Zilla Parishad, the district administration and the District Magistrate about our grievances. If our problems are not resolved within the next seven days, we will be compelled to launch a larger agitation,” Sarkar added.