More than 50 conservancy workers engaged on a contract basis by the Villupuram Municipality on Monday staged a dharna in front of the District Collectorate to protest against the irregular payment of wages. The workers who later submitted a memorandum to Collector D. Mohan claimed that they were paid wages only once in two months.
About 350 conservancy workers are engaged by the municipality, and a large number of them have not received safety gear, such as face masks and gloves. The most affected are the underground drainage workers, they said.
The workers also alleged that Municipal Commissioner B.V. Surendra Sha engaged the workers to take his three pet dogs for a walk.
When contacted Mr. Sha denied the allegations and claimed that the dharna was instigated by a few workers whose contract was put on hold recently. The local body has distributed safety gloves to all workers. He also denied that he had engaged the contract workers to take care of his pet dogs.
