Agartala, Aug 17 (TIWN): Agartala based cable TV Channel Live24's disgruntled employees reached out to TIWN to report Channel Owner Debashis Shil and Editor Subhas Das's inhuman treatment of their staffs in the time of COVID crisis.

Channel Owner cum 'Crorepati' businessman Debashis Shil not only denied to pay staffs July salary in August month but told cash trapped employees that nothing can be paid before Sept'20. 

In addition, in an inhuman manner, rather than helping 2 Covid positive staffs, Owner & Editor suddenly shut down the Channel and stopped July salaries which pushed all employees towards severe stress.

1) In the media fraternity of Tripura, one Photo journalist Debashis Roy alongwith a technical staff of Live 24 news channel Surajit Chakraborty found positive on 30th July. Since 31st July channel was crippled, employees were asked to work from home.

On 14th August, when covid positive Journalists were recovered, management on behalf of Owner Debashis Shil who is well known in Agartala as well as the proprietor of Lifedrop water agency and Editor Subhash Chandra Das (who being a self declared Editor) informed all employees that the channel will be closed/shut down from 15th of August.

2) Earlier in 2019, a group of 22 employees were terminated from this Channel all of a sudden, no proper reason was sited and drafted. Although it was mentioned in the paper that due to the financial crisis 22 employees have been asked to find alternative jobs but after that this media house owner and Editor has recruited a bunch of employees again. In these two years, some left this media house by their own choice, others were asked to discontinue.

3) There are lot of controversies and questions being ramped up by employees against the Editor Subhash Chandra Das who is also involved in several hook-up activities, shaddy deals in Agartala, also treating almost 50 employees in these 2 years in a very inhuman way, questions also being raised about how could a media house ask all employees to discontinue and shut down the channel forcefully when these employees have risen up and brought this channel to the common people.

4) Live 24's Senior Journalist  Pratap Banik has posted in his personal facebook account claiming that because of corona they were asked to discontinue, also asked by authority to shut down the channel itself.

5) Victim employees informed TIWN correspeondent that salary of July 2020 to all the employees who selflessly performed their duties in pandemic situation, has not yet paid by owner of Live 24 channel. Rather, employees have been informed that they will have to wait till mid September. 

Owner Debashis Shil's 'Dilly Dallying' inhuman behaviour of pushing July's salary payment to mid-september forcing employees to severe financial stress.