Chandigarh: Five months on, sports technicians await pay

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, December 18

Contractual employees of the UT Engineering Department (operators, helpers, electricians), hired through outsourcing to carry out mechanical work at local sports complexes, are allegedly awaiting their salaries for four months now. While the Engineering Department passed the buck to the Sports Department, the latter claimed the matter had been resolved and the salaries would be disbursed soon.

“The Engineering Department had not submitted details about the number of employees and their joining dates. The details have been received and the matter resolved. Many employees must have already withdrawn their salaries, while others will get soon,” said a UT Sports Department official.

Over a dozen employees are posted at various centres functioning under the Sports Department.

“We have been running from pillar to post to get our salaries. Our representation was not even accepted by the Engineering Department. We have been asked to wait or leave the job. Last year also, we faced the same problem and the matter was resolved near the end of our job term. We are already getting a nominal salary, and even it’s been delayed. We don’t have a union like other contractual staff, so our demands go unheard,” said one of the employees.