Photo Courtesy: tripuratimes
Agartala: Thousands of casual workers across Tripura marked a Black Day on Friday. They wore black badges and covered their faces to protest job insecurity. The Tripura Irregular Employees Forum organized the state-wide demonstrations to demand regular status and equal pay. The state currently employs over 35,000 irregular staff across various departments.
Nearly 9,500 of these workers serve in the health department. Many take home between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000 every month. Workers say these wages fail to cover basic costs in a period of high inflation. Babul Acharjee, a health worker since 1998, claimed the government ignores their plight. The administration scrapped a previous policy that granted permanent status after ten years of service following the 2018 regime change.
The Forum stated that current ruling party leaders promised regularisation within six months of taking office before the 2018 Assembly elections. That promise remains empty. Employees continue to retire without permanent status or benefits after decades of labor. "We are not asking for charity, we are demanding justice. Many of us have given decades of service without security or fair wages," Acharjee said.
The group sent an urgent appeal to Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha. They want a formal policy to guarantee job security and pay parity. The Forum warned that ignoring these workers threatens the state health and administrative systems. They expect immediate action to resolve the long-standing crisis.
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