Srinagar, June 04 (KNO): Contingent paid workers (CPWs) working in rural development department in Kashmir are without salaries from last one year, thereby making them suffer immensely.
CPWs while talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that government has not released their salary over the past one year due to which they are going through very tough times.
They said that one contingent paid worker is working in every block of the Kashmir division and are getting a meagre salary and that too is not release on time.
Rafiq Ahmad, a contingent paid worker who is also head of their association from South Kashmir said that they are getting 1000 to 3000 per month as salary but authorities have failed to provide them even this very little amount from last one year.
He said that they are working 24X7 even in this pandemic but due to unavailability of salary they are in a state of depression.
Workers said the delay in release of their salary has pushed them to state of depression particularly the ones who are married and have to support a family.
“Our families are at the verge of starvation, how we can feed our family from the meagre salary of Rs 1000 or 3000. Even this amount is not released on time,” they said adding that the government should consider the situation of CPWs and announce a hike in the monthly remuneration as well.
They urged the higher authorities of the department to release their pending salaries so that they get some relief.
Director rural development department Kashmir division Qazi Sarwar said that they have no contingent paid worker in the department but there are sweepers and they aren't on pay rolls of the department as they are hired by officials at local level.
He further added that they have already directed the officials to submit their details so that the same are submitted to higher ups who can take any decision about their appointment besides their salary—(KNO)