With this year's Durga Puja just two days away, 25 temporary security guards of the Malda Irrigation Department haven't received their wages for six months. On Wednesday morning, these temporary security guards began a protest demanding their overdue salaries. They've issued a warning: they will continue their demonstration until their demands are met. Their grievance is that despite repeatedly informing the relevant authorities, their back pay remains unpaid.
They work as security guards for the Malda Irrigation Department under a contractor from Raiganj. From 11 a.m., they started demonstrating in front of the Irrigation Department office in the Bandh Road area of Malda town. They allege that for the past six months, they haven't received their salaries or bonuses. When they approach the contracting agency about the overdue wages, they're told that the agency itself hasn't received the funds. The security guards are then directed to speak with the Irrigation Department officials. When they do so, they're redirected back to the contracting agency. Caught between these two parties, they find themselves in a predicament as the Puja approaches.
Debashis Haldar, one of the protesters, stated, “We've been working here for the past two years. We never receive our wages properly. It's been nearly six months now since we received any salary or bonus. Once Durga Puja begins, who will we turn to? That's why we've resorted to protesting today. Our demand is simple: pay our salaries and bonuses, and we'll return to work. Until our demands are met, the protest will continue.”
Regarding this issue, Subhankar Gudi, the Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department, said, “We've spoken with the contracting agency to resolve the problem swiftly. Efforts are being made to ensure the guards receive their overdue wages before Puja.”
