Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 15: Enlisted by authorities to clear weeds from Dal lake and enhance its beauty and appeal, hundreds of laborers have gone unpaid for the last five months, with the J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) failing to address the issue.
The laborers revealed to Excelsior that they initially received their payments from the LCMA, but they later found themselves transferred to a contractor who has failed to pay them for several months.
Bashir Ahmad Moti, one of the laborers, lamented: “We have been working under these conditions for several years. The question arises: if we were previously paid by the concerned department, why did they hand over the authority to the contractor, who is causing us suffering despite our hard work?”
He further noted that the contractor had promised in writing to pay them regularly after one month and ten days, but no progress has been made. “Even the LCMA authorities are unresponsive to our concerns,” he added.
The laborers emphasized that they haven’t received a single penny for the last five months. They also highlighted the contractor’s use of delaying tactics, leaving them in financial distress. One laborer stated, “While we ensure the cleanliness of Dal lake, making it appealing to tourists, our families are struggling to meet basic needs. We can’t even afford to pay our children’s school fees.”
The workforce, comprising nearly 500-600 individuals, begins their cleaning duties early in the morning and works until 2 pm. Afterward, they are unable to take up other employment opportunities.
“This means that we depend solely on the wages we earn from cleaning Dal lake. Imagine our situation when we haven’t received those wages for several months,” said Muhammad Abbas, another laborer.
Regarding their wages, the laborers explained that, according to the authorities, they should receive Rs 390 in their accounts out of a total daily wage of Rs 501, with the remaining amount designated for the Provident Fund.
However, they asserted that they were only given Rs 370 by the contractor for one month. They initially resisted the Provident Fund deductions, arguing that they needed their hard-earned money without deductions as was the routine.
Expressing their disappointment, the aggrieved laborers stated, “We are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of Dal lake, which provides a scenic experience for tourists. However, it is disheartening to see the authorities neglecting us while presenting the gift of a beautiful Dal lake to visitors. We have been left in a dire state.”
Dr. Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Vice Chairman of LCMA, assured Excelsior that the pending wages would be paid promptly. “The contractor has been formally notified, and the issues will be resolved as soon as possible. If the contractor fails to pay within the final notice period, which is one week, the department will step in to compensate the laborers,” he affirmed.
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