A health department clerk posted in a small Bihar town of Bhabua has submitted a unique petition to his department after not being paid for the last seven months.
Clerk Abhay Kumar Tiwary has requested the government civil surgeon of Bihar’s Kaimur district, almost 210 kms from capital Patna, for leave to work as a labourer in order to pay his children’s school fees.
The clerk’s letter, a copy of which is in the possession of HT, exposes the dismal state of affairs in Bihar’s health department that not only has huge vacancies but also fails to pay the existing employees on time.
Abhay, who is posted at the Bhabua district hospital blood bank, says he has not been paid salary since January this year despite availability of funds for the purpose.
The department, he added, had also denied him his four days of salary due for the years 2015 and 2016.
Tiwary’s letter alleges that his wife, son and daughter are at the brink of starvation since the grocery, vegetable and milk vendors had stopped lending essentials to his family due to non-payment of dues.
He adds that his 12-year old son, who studies in class 7 and nine-year old daughter Kaushiki, who is a class 5 student, are badly affected as the school has issued several memos warning to stop them from attending classes over dues.
{{/usCountry}}He adds that his 12-year old son, who studies in class 7 and nine-year old daughter Kaushiki, who is a class 5 student, are badly affected as the school has issued several memos warning to stop them from attending classes over dues.
{{/usCountry}}Tiwary said he was suffering from “worst-ever” physical and mental agony and was left with no choice.
“If the department did not pay my due salary and also not sanction my leave for working as daily waged labourer, I would be left with no option other than to take some extreme step,” he said.
Civil Surgeon Dr Arun Kumar Tiwary said that the clerk’s salary will be paid as soon as funds were released for the same.