CUTTACK: Healthcare services were disrupted for several hours at the Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC) on Wednesday after outsourced attendants staged dharna protesting the delay in payment of their monthly salaries.
Sources said the protesting attendants had been hired at the hospital from Quess, a manpower agency, through the Works department. However, resentment had been brewing among them as they were reportedly facing delay in receiving salaries for the last many months.
“Today is December 17 but we have not yet received our salaries. It is very difficult for us to maintain our families if we do not receive our payments on time. We had taken the matter to Quess and its sub-leased manpower agency Bluspring but no step has been taken in this regard,” alleged the protesters.
They further claimed that they hadn’t faced such a situation during the previous government’s tenure. “But, after formation of the new government, we are facing delay in getting our monthly payments,” they added. The protesters submitted a memorandum in this regard to the director, administrative officer, hospital superintendent, all department HODs, and managers of Quess and Bluspring manpower agencies.
AHPGIC director Dr Deepak Routray, however, said works certificate as well as salaries of all 500 outsourced attendants had been submitted to the R&B department two weeks back. “I have spoken to the superintending engineer, R&B, Cuttack and he has assured of paying the outsourced attendants’ salaries by tomorrow,” he added.
The agitators called off the protest and resumed duty after being assured of being paid their salaries.