AGARTALA, June 5 (TIWN): Although 3-years have passed since the completion of govt.’s Saubhagya Yojana work, the 40 enlisted contractors working in the power office, who still failed to get their fair share of the money, on Saturday afternoon, submitted a written notice to the AGM of the Electric Circle office of Sipahijala district and informed they would be on strike for an indefinite period from June 15.

The connections were given in Financial year 2018/19. At that time the DGM, SDO, and senior manager created pressure on them to provide the connection within 15 days. Total 20,000 free electricity connections were given in Sepahijala Div 1, Jampuijala, and Sonamura and the charge fixed was 2300 for each connection.

For working on Saubhagya Yojana, many of them borrowed money from banks and are paying interest on the money borrowed. Lying under debt for 2 years, the contractors were forced to surround the AGM of Bishramganj Power Department on January 13, 2021. They demanded the AGM to pay their dues soon or else they would continue their movement. 

Six months ago, at the Agartala Corporate House, the Technical Director and the Director of Finance had a meeting with the Sepahi Jala district electrical contractors and said that all the money from the Saubhagya scheme would be paid within a month. The directors assured them that the inspection report would come within a month and the bill would be paid immediately. After getting the hope, the contractors again started the work by borrowing loans. Now, three months have passed since the promise was made and so far not a single penny was paid to them despite appealing to the senior manager of the district, DGM and AGM repeatedly. Three years have passed, the Contractors now owe over Rs 3 crore from TSECL.

According to the contractors, the corporation is getting bills every month from the connections they have made in the Saubhagya Yojana scheme. If a customer does not pay the bill, the corporation collects interest from those customers. But the contractors have not been paid for three years. 

On Saturday, the district contractors gathered at Bishramganj Mini Stadium and went to meet AGM Hare Krishna Das of the district power circle office. Since the AGM was absent today, they met with the DGM, Sathi Chatterjee, and informed the department in writing about their indefinite strike.

They will stop working until they get the money from the department. They can no longer work due to a lack of money. The secretary of the Electrical Contractors Association of Sipahijala District, Basar Mia, said.