Jalpaiguri, Sept. 1 -- River water-level monitoring across North Bengal and Sikkim has remained disrupted for six days as 134 temporary workers of the Central Water Commission (CWC) continue their protest at the gates of its Jalpaiguri office. The disruption has raised concerns over timely flood warnings in the event of heavy rainfall and a sudden rise in river levels.
Amid the agitation, the CWC has extended the workers' tenure by one month, from September 1 to September 30. CWC Executive Engineer Anil Kumar Arya has appealed to the protesting workers to withdraw their agitation and resume duty.
The protest began on August 27 under the banner of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), initially over the alleged termination of 13 contractual security guards at the CWC's Jalpaiguri office following a fresh tender, as well as the reinstatement of the 134 river-monitoring workers whose agency contract expired on August 31.
Arya said: "The disruption caused by the protesting workers has stopped river water-level monitoring and has affected our operations. We have been obtaining information on rising water levels through alternative arrangements. However, nine of the 13 dismissed security guards have been reinstated. There are some issues regarding the remaining three. The CWC has extended the tenure of the 134 temporary workers engaged in river water-level monitoring from September 1 to September 30."
Krishnapada Roy, one of the protesting workers, said the agitation was not limited to the security guards' issue. "None of our river-water monitoring staff have been on duty since August 27. The contract period of the agency engaged to provide the river-monitoring workers also ended on August 31."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.