Srinagar, April 23: More than 400 safaikaramcharis of SMC on Thursday staged a protest demonstration against the administration for not releasing their salaries.
The safaikaramcharis, who are at the forefront in the fight against the novel coronavirus have not been paid for the last five months.
“In times of plague, the safaikaramcharis are working day and night. It is inhuman that they do not receive their salaries,” said SMC Safaikaramchari Union President, Ghulam Mohammad Solina.
He said the government has forced them to come on roads and protest for their rights. “Casual laborers are getting monthly remuneration of around Rs. 6500. They have not received it from months together. You can imagine how they are managing,” Solina added.
Solina threatened to intensify the protests if the salaries of safaikaramcharis are not released.
An official of SMC said that 400 casual laborers receive salaries from the sanitation fee collected from the different localities. However, due to the pandemic, the fee has not been collected and the employees are without salaries, the official said.
Joint Commissioner SMC, Syed Abul Qasim said: “They have taken up the matter and the salaries of these employees will be released within two to three days.”
