the goan I network
PANAJI
Workers hired by contractors doing major works for the PWD have sought an appointment with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, and are willing to wait till Tuesday for one. The workers, who have not been paid for months said that they are tired of the injustice meted out to them.
The workers had earlier been promised by the office of PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar that they would be paid their dues.
Workers claim Dhavalikar had allegedly told them that the file was awaiting clearance at the next cabinet meeting after which they will be paid. However, till date workers have alleged that close to nothing has been paid to them.
Addressing the press at Azad Maidan on Thursday, an employee from Canacona said, “We work in dirt. Whenever something needs to be done they call us but we have to literally beg for our pay and even after that we aren’t paid. It’s really disheartening.”
Another worker added that during Diwali, the workers had to beg the contractor for money and were paid late in the evening. “When will we go out and shop? Buy clothes for our children,” he said.
79 workers from the Canacona Division have not been paid for a varying amount of time ranging between 5 to 15 months. These workers have been employed with the PWD between 4 to 14 years.
The workers also alleged that if they have worked before the contractor gets a ‘work order’, the contractor would make a fuss while paying them.
Tired of unfulfilled promises by the PWD minister, the workers have turned to the CM, in hopes that their problem will get resolved. If they are not granted an appointment by Tuesday, they have threatened to sit outside the private residence of the CM.
“Anyway, that seems to have become his office,” said Swati Kerkar, an activist, helping the PWD workers get justice. She also alleged that though there was corruption at the top level in the department, the workers
always suffered.
