DJ Venkatesh
Diglipur, July 26: Days after a Counsellor of the A & N AIDS Control Society lost his life after a self-immolation bid over held-up wages, another sorry account of daily rated workers has come to light from the North and Middle Andaman District.
About several DRMs serving various Panchayat Raj Institutions in the district are struggling to make ends meet as they have been deprived of salaries for the last 10 months.
Though regular officials posted in the Panchayat Samity offices are disbursed salaries on regular basis, wages of daily rated workers have been held-up for official goof-ups by the Directorate of Rural Development.
According to reports, 35 DRMs workings in 15 Panchayat Samity Offices in Diglipur Sub Division and many others in 16 Panchayats in Mayabunder, Rangat and Kadamtala have been forced to starvation for the last 10 months.
The distressed lot were paid wages @ Rs. 271-296 (Rs 7000/-pm on average) in the month of September last year. Many of the DRMs have been serving the offices since establishment. But non-disbursal of wages regularly, unrest is gradually brewing among the workers.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha Executive Engineer, PRI, N & M Andaman, Mr. Ismail Sardar said that due to an error on the part of the Directorate of Rural Development, no funds have been allotted for the financial years 2014-15 and 2015-16 for salaries and the entire payments system is managed through a paltry 5% allocation for contingency works.
The Lt. Governor, Chief Secretary, Secretary, Rural Development intervened in the matter in 2014-15 and a solution was worked out to pay wages to the labourers from the 5% allocation of funds.
Investigation by this daily revealed that payments were released to DRMs in Mayabunder Office where the office of the Executive Engineer exists, after DRMs planned agitation. But payment for other DRMs serving in Kadamtala, Diglipur and Mayabunder have not been release since October 2014, while salaries of workers at Rangat have been held-up since September 2014.
According to latest update only a few days back just eight DRMs were paid the salary after Andaman Sheekha team questioned some top officers but what about others?
“We are under extreme stress as it has become difficult to sustain due to non-disbursal of salaries since the last 10 months. We’ve no other source of income and rely on the salary of about Rs 7000/- per month to run our families. Facing hardships, some workers also obtained personal loans from Banks hoping that they would be able to repay after the release of salaries. But even after 10 months, the Heads of Offices have failed to release the salaries and we’re receiving regular notices from the Banks for repayment of loans instalments. Even our legitimate right for salaries is not being granted, leave alone regularisation of services. Though regular officials like EEs, AEs and JEs are paid regularly, poor DRMs are made to suffer due to the apathy of the authorities. We’re left with no other option than to resort to a massive protest soon to press for our demands,” said some upset workers.
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