PANJIM: Seven jail guards, who were suspended for assaulting jail inmates following orders from their superiors, are struggling for their daily bread and butter as some of them have been without salaries for up to four months.
The struggling families of these jail guards have expressed shock at the callousness of the government authorities. They said that the superiors have been re-instated in service and the guards who were following orders have been made scapegoats, and that despite reporting daily to the jail authorities the 50 per cent salary, which they are entitled to when under suspension, has not been paid to them.
The families and the guards spoke to Herald on condition of anonymity fearing that their suspension may be extended and salaries further delayed if they speak to the media.
“I have two children, going to school. I also have an elderly sick mother that my wife is taking care of. In this condition how can we survive without salary for four months,” asked one of the suspended jail guards.
He informed Herald that he has taken loans and sold his wife’s gold ornaments to survive and take care of his sick mother, plus pay for the children’s education.
Another jail guard narrated a similar story and said that as per service rules they cannot work anywhere else. “I have two kids, I am staying with my family and one kid is just one year old. It is a very tough situation to live without salaries for such a long period” .
He said that his wife is working in a private firm and the entire family is dependent on her salary which is not enough to feed everyone.
The stories of the families could not be related to the Inspector General of Prisons Elvis Gomes as he was not available on the phone when contacted.
Seven jail guards and one jailor Krishna Usgaonkar were suspended in October 2015 for assaulting 50-odd inmates in the Colvale jail. While Usgaonkar’s suspension has been revoked, despite a magisterial report recommending strict action, the guards who had followed his order are still under suspension with no salaries.
