Four workers of Malaria Protection Force still remaining perched atop a water reservoir by way of their stir for regularisation of their jobs for the past 13 days, four others — all contractual laboratory/office assistants known as Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) workers — are also refusing to get down from the overhead water tank located in the School Education Directorate premises where they had ascended in the wee hours of Friday. They are demanding job adjustment of all the 1831 RMSA workers
Upon receiving the information, intelligence staff and local police rushed. Some policemen have remained deputed there to avoid any untoward incident.
RMSA state project in-charge Shishi Bala Choudhary reached the protest site on Saturday and appealed to them to get down in view of the State Government considering their demand. However, it was to no avail as the protesters chose to remain atop the tank.
The member of the association Vipin Rawat accused the State Government of not keeping its commitment on the adjustment of all the 1831 RMSA workers. The State Government has reinstated 1201 workers who were employed under UPNl, but 628 workers who were employed under HIlTRON were left out, he said.
To express solidarity with those staging stir from atop the tank, some association members staged sit-in in the Directorate campus near the water tank on Saturday, sloganeering against the State Government for its alleged apathy over their demands. They warned that their agitation would continue till they receive joining orders in black and white from the State Government.
It should be mentioned here that five members of the association had earlier scaled an over- head water tank near Parade Ground on July 29. They descended following assurance from the State Government on August 3. Acting on the assurance of the State Government, the education department reinstated some workers while leaving out the rest. The job contracts of these RMSA workers were terminated on March 31 this year when the Union Government stopped funding their salaries. Things are still hanging fire despite several rounds of talks being held with the State Government officers on the matter.