TELIAMURA, June 24 (TIWN): On yet another event, REGA workers came in a massive protest alleging that Tripura Gramin Bank is depriving them from their wages, by showing various excuses from a long period of time.

It’s to be mentioned that after so many allegations against the state Govt. for its poor treatment to the REGA workers, still either the Govt. or the Govt. employees, all are engaged in avoiding the poor workers’ demands. As a result dozens of workers, working under the REGA staged a mass protest at Mungia Kami Block, Khowai in support of their demand for wages. The event took place at 10.00 AM and it had been pursuing for at least 3 hours.

Watching the mass protest turning into a dangerous shape at last the BDO, L. Darlong along with the local chairperson and other officials came to the spot and took a control over the situation, by promising that the workers will get their money within 24 hours. Hence following their usual fate of receiving false promises, this time also the workers didn’t get their money even on June 23^rd.  

According to the reports in this running year the REGA workers had worked at least for 30 days in total. The money is generally comes in two times, through FTO banking system. Although the first phase of the whole amount had been sanctioned a long ago, still the workers were unable to withdraw that amount due to bank workers various excuses.

In their defense the bank workers said that in the workers’ withdrawal forms the signature of the manager was missing and that’s why they didn’t give them their wages.

Whether talking to the ADC Village’s vice chairman, he said that the bankers have to give their wages as the money has already come in the workers’ account. However, the bank manager simply ignored to talk to the media about this issue.

Sources say that for many times, after taking the signature of the REGA workers, the authorities deprived the  workers from their works and their works were done by the drozers.

And in this way the central govt.’s sanctioned moneys are grabbing by the REGA employees, by completing the works by drozers, which cost less; and in this way the left amount can be easily swallowed up by the authorities, which are coming in the name of the workers. Many times the complaint had been taken to Swapan Debbarma by the REGA workers, but giving a deaf ear, he is always unwilling to look after petty poor people’s problems and as a result the workers came in protest massively. Although it’s to mention that after passing 24 hours also they have not gotten their payments.