ITANAGAR, Oct 17: Itanagar Traffic Wardens (ITW) have recently written to the Capital Complex Deputy Commissioner, urging him to let them work under his jurisdiction, claiming absence of any appropriate authority to regulate their duty and to look after their grievances.
Presently, the ITWs engaged in regulating traffic in the Capital Complex have stated that they have not received their salaries for the last two months of August and September, following their move to press for their demands.
They have been agitating and carried out ‘whistle down’ strikes many times earlier, the latest being in August this year to draw the attention of the authorities towards their various issues, like job regularization, pay enhancement, discontinuation of biometric attendance, leave, service transfer to home department, etc.
‘After we carried out our 15-day ‘whistle down’ strike in January 2017, the authorities assured to look into our demands within three months. However, no progress has been made since and our demands still remain unfulfilled’, claimed the ITWs.
They have been since long lamenting the absence of an appropriate in-charge/authority for them to look after their issues. ‘At only Rs 8000 as salary per month, with no holidays or leave, we are carrying out our duties with sincerity and without fail. Often the authorities deduct our salaries when we fail to attend to our duties due to some or other reason. There is no exemption for us even if we have to appear for an interview’, rued one of the ITWs.
Meanwhile, Additional District Magistrate-cum-Chief Estate Officer, Talo Potom has in a release on Tuesday, termed their demands to work under the DC’s jurisdiction as violation of terms and condition of their engagement.
Regarding the biometric system of attendance, the ADM-cum –CEO said, ‘As per the direction of the Chief Secretary, biometric attendance is compulsory for authenticating and payment of wages of the ITWs and except five ITWs out of 190 ITWs, the rest have denied giving biometric attendance since August 7, 2017. Nowhere the employer creates self attendance and self deployment. The payment could not be done due to denial of biometric attendance and refusal to deployment by the authority.’
Potom further stated that on March 22 last, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, wherein it was decided that the ITWs shall continue under the CEO as they shall draw their wages from the establishment of the CEO. It was also decided that the biometric system of attendance shall continue for the ITWs.
The ITWs have however, claimed that they were not aware of the said meeting being held as none of them were informed about the same.
