Dhanbad civic body workers stop work over salary arrears

DHANBAD: Around 1,200 cleaning workers from 55 wards in Dhanbad ceased work and gheraoed the

municipal commissioner

on Saturday, demanding three months overdue salary. The workers did not budge, even after Manoj Kumar, the municipal commissioner's assurance.

Kumar said that the salary cheque has already been deposited with the

Bank of India

and the delay is definitely the bank's fault. We are enquiring with the bank to ascertain the reason behind the delay in transferring the amount, he added. The department will not hesitate from filing an FIR against the bank, if they continue to neglect the matter, said Manoj.

Meanwhile, the workers said that they never suffered from such a crisis when the previous commissioner was in office, as salary was always disbursed on time.

Purnima Devi, a worker said that the officials should realize that nobody can work without receiving payment for three consecutive months. The strike will continue till the time we receive our salary, she said.

The decision to stall work has come at a time when the

Dhanbad Municipal Corporation

is working hard to pull up its position in the ongoing Swachh Surveykshan 2017, a survey in which the city stood last in 2016. Since then the DMC is leaving no stone unturned to bring about major improvements regarding cleanliness of the city.