PHED employees demand service security
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 26 2023: All Manipur PHED Workers and Employees' Association has demanded the government to regularise services of work charged, casual and muster roll employees of the department.

Addressing a press meet at Manipur Press Club, here, on Sunday, association president Sapam Samungou said that the association had submitted its charter of demands to the government last year, which include service regularisation of work charged, casual and muster roll employees, payment of pending salaries and compassionate appointment to these employees among others.

He said that the demands are legitimate and entitled under Essential Services Maintenance Act 1976 and Manipur Essential Services Maintenance Act 1984.While pointing out that PHED requires adequate staff strength to ensure regular supply of water to the public, the president said out of the 2180 staff strength, the department's workforce has now been reduced to 1365, which is not enough to cover around 2000 water supply schemes across the state.

Since PHED became a separate department after bifurcation from IFCD in 1978, no government has taken up the initiative for regularising the service of these employees till date.

Many of the employees had retired without getting pension benefits, Samungou maintained.

Casual and muster roll employees are getting wages of only Rs 273 per day, which is only Rs 8190 per month while some of them are even getting less as they are classified as semiskilled and unskilled.

On the other hand, work charged and regular employees are getting Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per month, which shows a stark difference in wages even though they are carrying out similar duties, he pointed out, while demanding early fulfilment of their demands.

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