Ayodhya, February 26 – A crisis is looming over the sanitation system in Ram Nagari ahead of Holi, as hundreds of sanitation workers have stopped working and begun protesting after being unpaid for the past three months.
The workers staged protests at various locations, from Sahadatganj to Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, expressing their anger over the delayed payment of wages. They claimed that despite repeatedly raising the issue with concerned authorities, their salaries have not been credited to their bank accounts.
According to the workers, officials have repeatedly assured them that the payments would be made, saying "It will be today" or "It will be tomorrow," but the payments have still not been processed. The employees stated that they have now been promised that their salaries will be credited by March 2. However, they question how this is possible if there is a bank holiday.
With Holi falling on March 4, hundreds of families are facing uncertainty about how they will celebrate the festival without money. The prolonged delay in salary payments has caused deep resentment among the workers, who have made it clear that they will continue their strike until their outstanding dues are cleared.
Hundreds of sanitation workers are currently on strike in Ayodhya due to the non-payment of salaries for the past three months, raising concerns about the city's sanitation system.
Speaking to IANS, a sanitation worker said, "If we do not receive our salary, we will not resume work. We haven't been paid for three months, so we are on strike. Officials have said that the salary will be paid tomorrow."
Another worker said, "It has been two to three months since we received our wages. Some of our workers are ill. If they do not get their money, how will they afford treatment at the hospital?"
A third worker said, "We are responsible for cleaning the city, but we have not been paid for the last three months. The dates are being extended repeatedly. First, they said the wages would come today, but they did not. Now they are saying the salary will be paid in March."
Another worker added, "We have not received our full salary either. Sometimes we get Rs 8,000, sometimes Rs 9,000. The festival is near, yet we have not been paid. Today, we are not working and are on strike. There are more than 3,000 workers, and many of them are facing the same issue."