Temporary workers at Panihati Municipality in West Bengal blocked the civic body’s main gate on Thursday, demanding payment of five months of pending wages and outstanding allowances. The protest disrupted access to the municipal office and led to a confrontation between protesters and police who attempted to clear the entrance.
The workers said their salaries and allowances had remained unpaid for an extended period and demanded that the dues be settled quickly. The demonstration took place during the afternoon at the municipality premises, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal.
The blockade also affected the movement of political leaders at the municipal office. North Suburban district BJP president Chandicharan Roy and BJP leader Joy Saha reportedly faced difficulty entering the premises because of the protest. The BJP said workers had the right to demonstrate but should not block the gate or obstruct municipal operations.
Police intervened to remove the protesters from the entrance, after which a scuffle broke out between the police and the demonstrators. The report did not provide details of injuries, arrests or any formal police case arising from the confrontation.
The BJP also questioned the recruitment and continued engagement of the temporary workers. Roy claimed that several workers had been appointed on an urgent basis during the Covid-19 period and that their terms were later extended at the discretion of Trinamool Congress councillors. He further alleged that some workers performed personal tasks for councillors, including cooking, shopping and driving, instead of carrying out municipal duties. These allegations were made by Roy and were not independently established in the report.
Saha questioned the criteria used for recruitment and asked whether the workers had undergone any examination or formal selection process. He also alleged that some people had been engaged in domestic work at the homes of Trinamool councillors and leaders, and questioned whether their salaries were being paid from public tax revenues. The report did not include a response from Panihati Municipality, the councillors named in the allegations or the workers’ appointing authority.
The dispute places two immediate municipal issues in focus: the payment of wages to temporary civic workers and the administrative basis on which such workers were recruited and retained. The next steps will depend on whether the municipality addresses the workers’ demand for pending wages and clarifies the status and terms of their appointments.
