GP workers demand salary dues

Under the aegis of CITU, Gram Panchayat employees staged a protest in front of Zilla Panchayat office in Madikeri on Monday and urged the government to allocate Rs 382 crore in the budget to pay the dues through Electronic Fund Management System (EFMS).

Gram Panchayat Workers’ Association president P R Bharat said the Gram Panchayat employees in the district have not been paid for the last five months. Therefore, it has been decided to stage an indefinite dharna, demanding various facilities. If the administration does not respond positively, the protests will be intensified, he said.

He alleged that even though there is a regulation that 40% of the tax collected by the Panchayats should be utilised towards the salary of Panchayat employees, it has not been followed. The Gram Panchayats are not implementing the government’s orders in this regard. Around 65,000 employees are working in 6,024-gram Panchayats in the state and they are made to work without pay, he said and alleged that those who oppose injustice are being terminated from work.

The protestors demanded pension, health insurance and provident fund facilities. Minimum wages should be provided by the government to the Gram Panchayat workers. They said that the civic workers in Koodumangaluru GP will stage a protest on February 25 by calling off duties. A protest will be held in front of Handli G P on February 29, he said. A memorandum was submitted to Zilla Panchayat CEO K Lakshmi Priya.