Employees working at the parks and memorials constructed by the Bahujan Samaj Party Government in lucknow, locked their gates on Friday in protest against non-payment of their wages for the past three months.
The agitated workers said they were finding it difficult to arrange two square meals for their families as they had not been paid their wages for the past three months.These workers also alleged that provident fund contributions were being regularly deducted from their wages but they had not yet been given their PF account number.
With their gates locked, the Ramabai Ambedkar Park, Kanshiram memorial, Eco Garden, Bauddh Vihar and Ambedkar Memorial wore deserted looks as tourists could not enter them from afternoon.Head of the workers' union, Deepak Kumar Rana, said the gates of memorials in NOIDA would also be closed from Saturday unless their wages were disbursed."Unable to bear the financial crisis, a sanitary worker, Surendra Ram of Gonda district working at Ambedkar Memorial, had committed suicide on December 30. All the workers are frustrated because of non-payment of wages and their mounting debts," he said.
Rana said the lucknow Development Authority (lDA) officials had promised to clear the wages in December when the workers staged protest outside Ambedkar Memorial, but forgot their assurances after the protest was called off. lDA secretary AP Tewari said a letter had been sent to the administration a month back seeking funds for the workers' wages and were awaiting a reply. "The authorities are aware of the matter. For now there is nothing that the lDA can do in the case as the workers' wages are around Rs 105 crore per annum. However, we hope that the issue will be resolved soon," he added.
Vishvendra Singh, a worker engaged at Dr BR Ambedkar Park in Greater NOIDA, said the staff had not received wages for the last three months. He said his landlord had asked him to vacate the room that he has rented.Hl Soni, a bank employee from Indore, who is on a visit to lucknow with his family, was among those who went to the Dalit memorials but was disappointed on seeing the gates locked.