Zoo staffers protest for over an hour, deny entry to visitors

Kolkata: Visitors at the Alipore Zoological Gardens were prevented from entering the zoo premises for more than an hour on Friday afternoon due to an agitation by the members of the Zoo Employees' Union.

The agitators were protesting against the recruitment of 100 contractual employees. They had shut the gates for not allowing the new recruits to enter the Zoo premises.

A number of visitors kept waiting at the gates despite having purchased online tickets. They requested the agitators to allow them entry, but were denied.

"I have come with my wife and children from Dum Dum. My child was getting restless being unable to go outside home during the COVID-19 pandemic. I had purchased online tickets. But, I am standing here for more than 45 minutes and being denied entry," regretted Asim Debnath, a visitor.

The agitators shut the ticket counter from 12 noon. They alleged that the state Forest department had recruited more than 100 odd contractual staffers, but had ignored the next of kin of four employees in the zoo — who died in 2016.

It was only when the police intervened that the situation was brought under control.