Rawalpindi - A large number of employees hired by the district government yesterday continued their protest against non-payment of their salaries and termination of their contract.
More than 100 men and women gathered outside the district coordination officer (DCO) office and demanded payment of their dues. The protestors also blocked Katcheri Chowk for vehicular movement.
Zarina Bibi, a lady health visitor, said that they have not yet received salaries in the bank accounts. “We have come in front of the DCO office again as we need the salary and not mere assurances,” she said.
Mazhar Qureshi who worked as sanitary patrol for the district health department during campaign against dengue, said, “We are on roads for getting our dues but the government is not paying heed to our problems.”
He said that over 500 contract employees had been terminated by the district government saying the government has no funds to pay them. He said that the sanitary patrols were hired against Rs 14,000 per month for four months contract. He said that that they are waiting for the salary as the government has terminated their contracts.
Qureshi said that some workers have received some amount but not full salaries. He said the district government needs to have staff for anti-dengue and anti-polio campaigns. He claimed the district government has hired 300 new workers for anti-dengue campaign. He said that the most of the terminated workers are women who have no other means for earning their livelihood. He urged the district government to rehire them and pay them regular salaries.
The protestors peacefully dispersed after Assistant Commissioner Sardar Ahmad Hassan Ranjah assured them that their salaries would be transferred into their accounts next week.
Earlier, the terminated workers also held their protest demonstration on April 27.