IIT Bombay hasn’t paid its maintenance staff, claims student body

In multiple letters to the administration, the IIT Bombay for Justice forum has demanded that the institute pay wages to all its contractual workers, including those who have left campus amid the lockdown owing to Covid-19 outbreak.

A student body at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, has claimed that contractual workers on campus such as maintenance workers, housekeeping staff, mess workers and construction workers haven’t been paid by the institute administration since the lockdown was announced.

Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. (HT file)

In multiple letters to the administration, the IIT Bombay for Justice forum has demanded that the institute pay wages to all its contractual workers, including those who have left campus amid the lockdown owing to Covid-19 outbreak.

“In the light of the situation of non-payment of the wages for different sections of the workers in IIT Bombay, we demand that wages of the construction labourers for the period of lockdown, which has been denied for more than two months now, be paid in full.

Wages must be paid not only to those who remain but also to those who have left the campus. Wages must be paid to mess workers employed with contractors. In the case of these workers, the institute IS the principal employer. A safe travel arrangement should be made by the IIT administration in consultation with the state machineries for those workers who want to go home,” read the letter issued by the students forum.

However, HT has accessed a letter issued by AK Suresh, deputy director, academic and infrastructural affairs, to all campus residents on April 29. In the letter, Suresh has claimed that the institute has released salaries to labourers employed on campus. “In respect of mess workers, except three messes, for all other messes, payments are up to date and the delay in the case of these three messes are being addressed expeditiously,” said the letter.

In a statement to HT on Wednesday, BVS VIshvanadham, dean, infrastructure, planning and support, said: “Currently labour strength is about 340 under two major contractors working in projects being executed by CPWD in IIT Bombay campus. CPWD and IIT Bombay through their contractors have ensured payment of wages to all labourers as per GOI regulations. Efforts are also being made to help labourers in getting their travel arranged through the state government. In addition to kharchi (food stock allowance), two major contractors have also arranged dry ration for two weeks for all labourers. In addition, one meal per day is being arranged for about 250 labourers through Atal Aahar Yojana/Roti Bank.“