The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and various organisations have taken exception to the undue delay on the part of the district administration in disbursing the wages of 900 Tamil sanitation workers who were deployed by the Sabarimala Sanitation Society (SSS) at Sabarimala, Pampa, Nilackal and Pandalam for 71 days during the last pilgrim season that came to a close on January 21.
Talking to The Hindu , TDB president N. Vasu said the board was all praise for the valuable service done by the sanitation workers.
No communication
The TDB used to release funds to the SSS, chaired by the Pathanamthitta Collector, every year on reimbursement basis. However, the board had not yet received any communication in this regard from the SSS so far.
Mr. Vasu said the board was pained to know that the poor workers were yet to receive their wages.
The workers hailing from Madurai, Theni, Kalladaikurichi, Salem, Cumbom, etc, were the backbone of the government’s cleaning initiative at Sabarimala and any delay in disbursing their wages had no justification, he said.
He had already directed board officials to consult District Collector P.B. Noohu and take necessary steps to release the funds required for disbursing the workers’ wages.
Administration flayed
The Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sanghom (ABASS) and Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajom (SASS) accused the district administration of adopting a stepmotherly attitude towards Sabarimala and the workers.
SASS president Akkeeramon Kalidasan Bhattathirippad and ABASS general secretary N. Velayudhan alleged that the daily wage of ₹400 fixed for the 24-hour cleaning work was too low when compared to the wage of a worker fixed by the government. Delaying even this ‘pittance’ amounted to criminal indifference.
Revenue Divisional Officer and SSS member secretary P.T. Abraham said the society had not faced any dearth of funds. The bill was pending clearance at the collectorate finance wing, he added.
