Aggrieved over not getting salaries for past five months, the Madhya Pradesh Panchayat Sachiv Sanghthan has announced ‘no pay no work’ from July 15.
More than 23,000 panchayat sachivs, who are taking care of over 52,000 villages across the state, have not been paid for their services for the past five months. Ironically, they have been included in ‘corona warrior’ category but have been deprived of their rights.
“Most of my colleagues have fallen in debt and become bank loan defaulters as they have failed to pay the EMIs for their bikes, homes etc. This all because of no fault of their own but because of government,” said Dinesh Sharma, president of the panchayat sachiv sanghthan.
Panchayat sachivs have ensured that corona doesn’t enter the villages and worked overtime sanitizing villages and distributing masks to the villagers. They came out in interest of country but the government failed them- not paying their salaries, said Sharma.
Panchayat sachivs in large numbers have fallen under depression after being declared defaulter by the banks. Vehicles of some have been seized by the banks. Others were unable to pay fees of their children. Considering all these facts, the panchayat sachiv organisation has given a week’s time to the state government to clear the dues else they will resort to agitation.
“We have only one demand. Please give us our salaries. If the government fails to do it within a week, we will start with no pay, no work protest,” said Sharma. “I will sit in front of the state secretariat while panchayat sachivs will sit on dharna at their offices,” he added.
