Team Herald
VALPOI: Around nine milkmen have threatened to commit suicide along with their families if government fails to solve their issue with regards to pending salary and contract non-renewal.
Led by social activist Swati Kerkar, around nine milkmen along with their families held a morcha at the Government cattle breeding farm at Kopardem, Sattari.
It may be recalled that the nine milkmen were working at the Kopardem farm on contract basis for the past 12 years and annually their contract was being renewed.
But in January this year, they had been given a break with the reason cited as the model code of conduct. The Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services informed them that their contract cannot be renewed due to the code of conduct and to add to their woes they are yet to receive their 10 months’ salary.
Since being given a break they have been visiting the Kopardem farm on a daily basis hoping that their contract will be renewed.
This month, the milkmen received an order from the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services that their contract has been extended to a further period of six months and with an assurance that they will receive their pending tenth-month salary soon. After receiving the order, they met Dr Dattaraj Naik Parrikar, the in charge of Kopardem farm, who told them that he cannot take them back at work, stating that the order is illegal.
Social activist Swati Kerkar said, “Recently, Chief Minister assured the Assembly that the services of those working on contract basis will be regularised. And here the services of the contract workers have been terminated.”
She said, “This is injustice to the milkmen. We will not keep quiet, we have been demanding that the Government sort out the issue and regularise the services of these milkmen.”
Pramod Gaonkar, a milkman, said, “For the last seven years, Kopardem farm in charge is giving us false promises, that he will regularise our services. And now we have received the order from the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services that our contract has been extended and now he is not ready to take us back stating that the Director has committed a mistake in the order. Now, we are demanding that Government gives us justice or else all nine milkmen will commit suicide along with our families.”
When Herald tried to contact Dr Dattaraj Naik Parrikar, he was not available for comments.
