The Uddhav Thackeray led MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) sarkar in Maharashtra has not paid salaries to the state transport (ST) employees for the last three months thereby leaving about 1.10 lakh families in Maharashtra not just starving but also deprived of money needed to celebrate the joyous festival of Diwali.
1.10 Lakh families in Maharashtra face a starving Diwali.
No salary to State Transport employess for last 3 months. Now they are forced to protest alongwith their families.
Dear Penguin Sheniks, aren't these people Marathi? Is starving small kids your Marathi Asmita? pic.twitter.com/vZoakOmC1A
— Jiten Gajaria (@jitengajaria) November 9, 2020
Speaking to ABP Majha, the employees and their family members, who were protesting within their society premises, expressed their anguish at not receiving their salaries due to which they are unable to sustain themselves. One of the employees said that despite the Chinese Virus pandemic when the lockdown was imposed and everything had been shut down, ST services were running and we served the people to the best of our abilities in spite of the risks involved.
However, we have not been paid our salaries for the last three months and Deepawali which is an important Hindu festival is less than a week away but we don’t have any money to celebrate it. He added that they are almost close to starvation and now they haven’t got their wages and bonus as a result of which they are facing a financial crunch making it difficult for them to make any Diwali purchase.
He also said that it is my humble request to the government to ensure that those employees who have risked their lives to serve the people must be taken care of by the state government as it is the latter’s duty and responsibility. One of the children present at the protest site said added that his father has been working since the lockdown began but hasn’t received his salary due to which they are unable to pay his school fees. The kid also requested “even if you are not giving the bonus at least pay the salary dues of 3 months”.
It has come to light that an ST employee from the Jalgoan ST depot committed suicide. The employee identified as Manoj Chaudhary has left a suicide note in which he has mentioned non-payment of salary by the Thackeray led MVA government as the reason for taking this extreme step. It must be mentioned that earlier another ST employee belonging to Ratnagiri also committed suicide.
The two unfortunate deaths have not just rattled but also angered the ST employees. As per news reports, many employees had come out on the streets to protest following Chaudhary’s suicide. It is yet to be seen what steps the MVA government will take.
ST employees across the state have begun agitations demanding that their three months dues be cleared. The Thackeray led MVA government is yet to react to these legitimate demands or come out and issue a statement in this regard.
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