Not paid for 6 months, Abohar safai sewaks write to Capt

Our Correspondent

Abohar, June 30

Around 165 regular safai sewaks (sanitation workers) of the Municipal Council, who went on an indefinite strike on Friday, dispatched letters to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh seeking his intervention in getting their salaries of six months released.

They said the A grade council had never paid their salary on a regular basis in the past decade. They were not given loans to purchase wheat and were unable to pay the tuition fee of children besides arranging books and stationary for them when they resume studies after a 30-day summer vacation on Monday.

They said successive governments had not deployed a full-time executive officer and engineer at Abohar, which had hit the working of the council. The kin of workers died during service were also not paid dues. They said the council had also not taken steps to fill vacancies of 160 safai sewaks and ad hoc employees recruited by contractors were shown the door as the council was not able to clear the bills.