Report and Pics from Hemanath Padubidri 
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi (RD/CN)
 
Udupi, Oct 18: The labour contractor of the district hospital has been accused of not paying workers’ wages for the past seven months. 
 
The contractor Nitya Enterprises, Kinnimulky had supplied 65 workers to work at the hospital at a monthly wage of Rs 2,600 each.  As per the agreement, the contractor would be compelled to pay the wages of his workers even if there is a delay in payment by the health department. The workers have complained to the district labour commissioner about this.

 
The district hospital has 320 beds, 64 nurses, and 16 6 technicians. There is a shortage of 50 technicians and 28 nurses as one nurse is required for every five beds. The district surgeon, Dr Dayanand Nayak, had sent a memo to the contractor, asking him to pay the wages.

The health department has withheld the cheque to the labour contractor, as it was agreed between them that the latter will deposit the monthly wages of each worker in their individual bank accounts which has not been adhered to. In this tussle, it is the unpaid workers and their families who are caught in the middle.