Alleging that their bills have remained unpaid for the past eight months, Customer Service Providers (CSPs) working under the Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM) staged a protest by locking the Salema Block Office on Monday, demanding immediate clearance of their pending dues. The protest triggered tension in the area.
The protesters alleged that they had been discharging their duties regularly for the past eight months but had not received their entitled payments. According to them, they had been assured that the outstanding bills would be cleared by October 10. However, even after the deadline passed, the payments had not been made as of October 12, prompting growing resentment among the workers.
The CSPs said the prolonged delay in payment had pushed them into severe financial difficulties. Despite continuing to perform their assigned duties, they were struggling to meet their daily expenses due to the non-payment of their dues. Along with immediate clearance of the pending bills, they also demanded measures to prevent such delays in the future.
Following discussions with the protesters, the Block Development Officer (BDO) assured them that the outstanding bills would be cleared within the next two days. Following the assurance, the TRLM-affiliated CSPs withdrew their agitation.
However, concerns remain over a permanent solution to the problem of delayed payments. The affected workers are now waiting to see whether the BDO's assurance will be fulfilled within the promised timeframe. Timely clearance of the outstanding bills is expected to provide some relief to the workers who have been facing financial hardship for months.
