New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS): Delhi Chief Minister Atishi attended the mega PTM (parent-teacher meeting) event at Kalkaji’s Sarvodaya Vidyalaya on Saturday and held a fun-filled interaction with children as well as their parents.
The Chief Minister also took the feedback from parents and school staff on the PTM drive in government schools, an initiative started by former CM Arvind Kejriwal.
However, the sweepers and cleaners of the same school shared the distressing and poignant state of affairs.
They said that they have been ‘unpaid’ for months and described the big promises of the AAP government as mere eyewash.
A couple of sanitation workers speaking to IANS shared that they have not been paid their salaries and remuneration for months. They spoke about their financial troubles, routine travails because of the unexplained delay in their monthly remuneration.
Reena, a sanitation worker at the school, speaking to IANS said that they haven’t been paid salaries for months and hence are faced with a monetary crisis.
“Our salaries didn’t come for three months. It's only when we went to CM Atishi’s office, our salaries were released,” she stated.
She further said that this is not new, they have been facing this problem for the past two years.
“Many a times, the school principal gives us money from his own pocket. We need a solution to our problem. We have been working for 20 years, our demand is to be confirmed,” she demanded.
Ruby, another cleaning worker, raised similar concerns and demanded an end to their salary woes.
“We have not been getting our salaries on time. The previous contractor used to pay us salary on time, but the new one is not doing anything on time. We had also gone to meet CM Atishi, but the meeting could not take place,” she said.
Sanitation worker Sonu said that he has got salary just once in the last three to four months.
“We live in a rented house and, due to non-payment of salary on time, we are not able to pay the rent. The work in the school has increased, but the number of employees has not increased,” he said.
Another sweeper also shared his pain over unpaid salaries.
“We have to borrow money to run our household. We are very distressed. We don't get a chance to talk to any school supervisor. Our problem needs an urgent solution,” he remarked.