Jamshedpur: Home Guards protest in demand for unpaid salaries

Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Oct 9: Home Guard personnel stationed at Sadar Hospital in Parsudih, launched a sit-in protest on Monday, October 9, demanding the payment of held up salaries since the past five months. They announced of going on strike. According to the protesting Home Guards a total of 42 personnel were deployed at Sadar Hospital, out of whom 12 had been recently taken off duty. Currently, only 30 Home Guards had been given the responsibility of the Hospital’s security. These 30 personnel have not received their salaries for the past five months, leading to a severe food crisis for them. The situation had turned so dire that they were unable to pay the school fees of their children.
Politics behind withheld salaries: HGWA
District Vice President of Home Guard Welfare Association (HGWA), Ramesh Prasad alleged, “The protesting Home Guard personnel are being paid through outsourcing, but today, the Civil Surgeon claimed that the entire outsourcing fund had been exhausted. There is politics behind the withheld salaries and an attempt is being made to replace Home Guard Jawans with private security personnel. The families of these personnel have been struggling for the past five months, and no concrete steps are being taken by the Civil Surgeon to address the issue. Exhausted and frustrated, they decided to go on strike today.”

Government funds not being released: CS

As against the HGWA District Vice President’s allegation, Civil Surgeon Dr Jujhar Majhi expressed his concern over the situation and mentioned that he too was troubled by the predicament. He stated, “The government has not released funds for outsourcing due to which payments have been held up. Payments can only be made from the fund allocated for outsourcing. Since the outsourcing funds have not been received, the personnel are facing financial difficulties.”
CS Dr Jujhar Majhi assured that as soon as the funds were received, the payments would be effected. The non-payment through outsourcing had led to a reduction in the number of personnel on duty.