680 daily employees not paid salaries for past 6 months

Rawalpindi

Over 680 daily wage employees of dengue elimination project run by Punjab government who had not been paid salaries for past six months are finding it difficult to meet both ends. However, there is a good news for them, as Executive District Officer, Health, as well as District Health Officer have claimed that Punjab government has released an amount of Rs30 million for the daily wage employees of dengue elimination project and they will get their outstanding dues within 3 to 4 days. 

These ill fated employees were appointed in September 2015 by the city district government in different departments including CCB, RCB, educational departments, health units and civic bodies of Rawalpindi when dengue virus had reached at its peak claiming lives of large number of people. Though on the instructions of the Punjab government, the city district government and the local bodies departments employed over 780 employees on contractual and daily wages basis and got work from them varying from 10 to 12 hours. However, the government failed to pay over 680 daily wagers their salaries, thus making them suffer from financial hardships. A good number of daily wagers working on dengue eradication plan approached this correspondent and narrated their woeful story but on condition of anonymity, citing victimisation, if their names were disclosed. 

They said that they had to work from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. indoor and outdoor even on public holidays besides weekly offs on a remuneration of Rs 13,000 per month. They regretted despite doing tough field work they have not been paid their salaries for last 6 months . However, they claimed that the employees recruited on contractual basis have been receiving their monthly salaries without any hiccup. 

They said that their financial woes have worsened in past six months and they had to borrow loans from friends, relatives and other near and dear ones. 

They said that when they approached the heads of their sections several times they are always assured that they will receive their payments soon. However, 6 months have passed but they did not resort to the strategy of protests and demonstration but appealing to the Punjab Chief Minister to take immediate notice of non-payment of salaries to them and direct the concerned bodies to take positive steps in this regard so that they could get some financial relief. When this correspondent took this issue with the Executive District Officer (Health) Dr. Arshad Ali Sabir and the District Health Officer (Health) Dr. Rafiq Ahmed, admitted that the daily wage employees of dengue elimination project have not been paid their salaries for past 6 months. 

While accepting this, these officials said that salaries to the daily wage employees remained unpaid due to non-release of funds earmarked by the Punjab government worth Rs 260 million for dengue eradication project.

However, now with the efforts of the acting commissioner and District Coordination Officer (Rawalpindi) Sajid Zafar Daal, the Punjab government has released amount of Rs 30 million to the health department with the objective of clearing dues of daily wage employees employed for dengue eradication. We have received the cheque of the amount and would clear the dues of daily wagers possibly in next three to four days. 

At the same time, they informed that after payment of dues these employees would be discharged from their duties and on the instructions of the Punjab government, we would recruit fresh candidates for working on dengue eradication plan this year. The discharged workers could reapply for fresh appointments as they would be preferred for jobs during appointment procedures. The fresh employees would be recruited on contractual basis as the government has banned employment of workers on daily wages. 

The reason behind this move is that the daily wage employees do not take up their jobs seriously. Either they leave their jobs without informing the related authorities or remain absent for most of the period which greatly affects the work on eradication of dengue virus, EDO, health, Dr Arshad Ali observed.