HYDERABAD: M Raju has been working as a security guard at Lumbini park in the city for the last thirteen years. It has been 50 days since he was last paid his salary. “This is not the first time the contractor has not paid us our salary on time. There are dues for some months that are yet to be paid,” said Raju.
On Wednesday, security guards of Lumbini park, NTR park and Sanjeevaiah park in the city protested before the Buddha Purnima Project (BPP) Authority building demanding to be heard by the officials.
Security guards of the three parks are managed by Renuka Shakthi Security Services Private limited. The three-year contract to the firm was awarded through a tender process governed by Buddha Purnima Project Authority (BPPA), Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
Security guards at the three parks earn `8,500 per month. They are not entitled to any benefits either. “When I joined in 2003, my salary was Rs 1,800, now I earn Rs 9,000,” said Shobha Sriram, a security guard for 13 years at NTR park. Her salary was hiked after the Minimum Wages Act, 2016.
Apart from not paying salary on the time, the security guards allege a series of fraud by the firm. The guards had approached the labour department after which an enquiry was done. “In May 2015, we were asked to sign on blank salary vouchers but the salary was paid to us in cash,” said Srikanth (name changed) the security guard representative.
“Later, we got to know the owner had claimed more money with the labour department than he was supposed to. He (the owner) has been submitting fake vouchers and Variable Dearness Allowances (VDA) points for the past three years,” allege the guard. “There are close to 200 people who are working as security guards. The labour department has a record of only 111 but 80 guards are not listed with the department,” said Sainath B, assistant security officer. HMDA has ordered the owner to pay the salaries before 7th of every month. But the owner has requested for two days time to pay the guards their salaries.