Jamtara: Waste collection in Jamtara Nagar Panchayat limits was disrupted on Thursday after sanitation workers halted work for the alleged non-payment of their wages for the past three months.With Durga Puja festivities gathering momentum, sanitation workers drove their waste collection vehicles through key areas, including Subhash Chowk, Tower Chowk, the main market and Indira Chowk, dumping waste on the road and raising slogans against the district administration. Stating that the delay had pushed them into financial hardship, the sanitation workers threatened to keep their protest going until their demand is met.Around 90 sanitation workers, hired by a contractual agency, are responsible for day-to-day waste collection from homes and commercial establishments and keeping the streets clean.Their protest irked residents and commuters. Many of them said waste strewn on busy roads during the festive season hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees and created unhygienic conditions in crowded market areas.One of the sanitation workers, who took part in the protests, said they have not received their wages for more than three months. “We had been performing our duties. But now, we were forced to protest after our repeated appeals went unheard,” he said.Soma Khandait, executive officer of Jamtara Nagar Panchayat, said arrangements were being made to clear the garbage. “Necessary steps are being taken to remove the waste, and the issue will be resolved soon,” she said. Khandait said measures are being taken to get the wages disbursed soon.
