They keep a watch in villages at night but face a dark future

Anupam Bhagria

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 26

In the present time when prices are skyrocketing, rural watchmen are paid a meagre salary of Rs 800 per month. These uneducated watchmen have to do many other menial jobs to make ends meet. Their wages are never revised by the state government.

The state government is not even paying them minimum wages fixed by the Center Government, i.e. Rs 8,765 per month.

A few poor watchmen shared with The Tribune the harsh realities of life they have been facing. Shinderpal (57), who is a watchman at Gadi Bet village in Ludhiana district, said: “I have two daughters. They were brought up by my mother as I lost my wife in 1990. I was appointed a rural watchman in 2001. Since then, I have been getting a monthly salary of Rs 800.”

He has to do labour jobs or work as a domestic help for a small amount of Rs 10 or 20.

Charan Singh (52), a watchman at Sangowal village, said: “I could not have solemnised the marriage of my elder daughter on time if some Good Samaritans had not helped me.” He got this job on compassionate grounds after he lost his father in 2004. Charan Singh said: “I have to put in a lot of hard work finding other small jobs. My two children, a son and a daughter, are studying. I want my children get education. So they may earn their livelihood by doing good jobs.”

Condemning the state government for not paying even minimum wages to them, Paramjit Singh Neelon, president of the Lal Jhanda Pendu Chaukidar Union, Punjab (CITU-Punjab), said he also started working in 2001 and had not seen any increase in his salary since then. Fiftytwo-year-old Neelon has three children. He said: “It is an uphill task to lead a normal life with such a meagre salary. The government is just paying about Rs 27 per day to us. It is a cruel joke.”

He said the union leaders had brought their plight to the notice of Revenue Minister of Punjab Bikramjit Singh Majithia, Finance Minister Paramjit Singh Dhindhsa and Local Bodies Minister Bhagat Chuni Lal. Their dharna in front of the office of Labour Commissioner’s office at Sector 17, Chandigarh, has entered its 10th month but the state government has paid no heed to their plight.

They have demanded a salary of Rs 15,000 per month. There are 12,329 villages in the state. However, only 10,500 villages have watchmen.