Contract workers of the Comprehensive Protected Water Supply (CPWS) scheme in four different schemes in Anantapur district have announced the complete shutdown of the drinking water supply system in the district from midnight on Sunday following the failure of talks between Joint Action Committee or workers’ unions and Rural Water Supply authorities seeking wages and payment of Provident Fund dues.
About of couple of thousands of contract works in all the drinking water schemes had been agitating for the past one year at regular intervals demanding salary dues, which were later cleared by the contractors. However, the Provident Fund amount deducted from them and the contractors’ contribution was not paid into their accounts for 28 months.
The union leaders alleged that the staff in Kanaganapalli were not paid salaries for 14 months, while Sathya Sai Drinking Water Scheme workers’ salary was due for four months, and for those at Rapthadu Scheme did not receive salary for eight months
On Saturday, the talks between Superintendent Engineer RWS and the JAC leaders failed and the JAC demanded payment of ₹2,250 as PF amount and not ₹580 paid by the contractor. The JAC led by Obul, asked the RWS officials to clear all their dues and then only approach them for continuing the work.
The contract workers also submitted a memorandum to the Peoples Democratic Front MLC V. Balasubramanyam and sought his help in letting the Chief Minister know about the issue.
