Durga Puja looms as Raiganj residents face rising garbage

Raiganj: With Durga Puja around the corner, residents of Raiganj are grappling with mounting garbage across the town as contractual conservancy department staff of the Raiganj Municipality remain on an indefinite cease work for the tenth consecutive day. As the standoff continues, residents are urging both the civic body and workers to resolve the deadlock at the earliest to prevent a public health crisis during the festive season.

It is learnt that Raiganj Municipality employs around 500 contractual sweepers covering all 27 wards. Their wages are drawn from the municipality’s own funds. Workers allege they have not been paid for the last three months, nor have they received their annual Puja bonus.Bina Paswan, a contractual sweeper said: “We receive very poor salaries.

That too for three months we haven’t been paid, and our Puja bonus hasn’t been released either. We are left with no choice but to continue our strike until our demands are met”.

Susmita Dutta, a resident of Mohanbati said: “Garbage has been piling up on the roads in Mohanbati for several days, causing a foul smell and raising fear of health hazards. We urge the municipality authorities to arrange for immediate removal of the untreated waste.”

Confirming the crisis, Sandip Biswas, chairperson of the Board of Administrators, admitted: “Due to insufficient municipal funds, we could not pay them on time. However, steps have been initiated to clear their dues before Durga Puja.”