Agartala, July 30: Large number of casual and daily rate wage workers of the Health Department, most of whom have been engaged for over two decades, staged a protest against the state government’s decision to abolish the policy that regularised services for casual workers after ten years of service in any department of state government.
On Tuesday, daily rate wage workers and casual workers, gathered with placards in front of the Medical Superintendent’s office at IGM Hospital and raised slogans demanding for their regularization.
They expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s notice issued five days ago, stating there was no policy decision for regularising their services despite incremental wage enhancements over time.
The protesters alleged that a policy existed under the previous administration to regularise casual workers after ten years of service. However, they claim that the BJP government, after coming to power in 2018, changed this policy despite earlier promising to regularise all casual workers within three months of assuming office.
In a show of unity and determination, the protesters who all total are around 950 in the Health Department, threatened to escalate their agitation, including launching a hunger strike till death, if the government did not revert to the previous policy of appointing casual workers after ten years of service.
They also demanded the implementation of the Tripura High Court’s order for equal pay for equal work.
The situation remains tense as the workers continue to demand justice and recognition for their long-term service in the Health Department.
