Hundreds of employees and the ward councilors of five municipalities of Jhenidah have been deprived of their monthly wages for couple of years. It has thrown them in financial hardship and the employees fully depend on the salary, have been discouraged to provide better services for the citizens.
Further, the employees who went on retirement are also deprived of their benefits and other allowances for years, said the employees and some of the ward councilors.
The employees and the staff of Kotchandp[ur and bordering Moheshpur municipalities are the worst suffers as the authority has not paying their dues for years together. Kotchandpur municipality was established in 1883, while Moheshpur in 1861.
62 employees including 32 regular employees have been serving in Kotchandpur municipality, who draw Taka 13 lakh a month against their salary. The authorities have paid their wages till July 2017, while they are to receive the same for another 22 months till May this year.
Some of the employees could not receive wages for continuous 42 months. They were given festival bonus only following the Eid Ul Fitr, they said. An employee requesting not to be named, said he is not in a position to pay Taka 3.5 lakh to a grocer from where he consumes the essentials for the family. The figure is increasing every day, he added.
A total of 76 employees have been providing services at boerderi0ng Moheshpur municipality. At least Taka 15 lakh is required for salary purposes a month. The authorities could not ensure the wages for past 18 months.
All the 83 employees of Sailkupa municipality are deprived of their salary and other benefits for last 13 months. The situation has been prevailing for past five years, said an employee. The receive one month’s salary or similar figure every month which does could not improve the financial state of the institute.
Harinakundu, the lone class three municipality in Jhenidah could not ensure salary of its 37 regular and casual employees. Taka eight lakh is required for the salary purposes a month, employees said.
A total of 105 employees have been serving at Kaliganj class one municipality. Taka 18 lakh is required a month to meet the salary of the employees. But the authority could not provide salary and other benefits to its service providers in last four months.
Kaliganj municipality mayor Ashraful Islam when contacted said the major due for salary and wags purposes was remaining pending since the period of previous mayor. Regular collection of revenue from the municipal dwellers might help reduce the figure gradually. He has been trying to liquidate the same as early as possible with his limited resources, Ashraful said.
