Boatmen, helpers appointed for rescue operations in state want pay hike

BHUBANESWAR: Boatmen and helpers, those who are engaged by the state government for relief and rescue operations during natural calamities like flood and cyclone, on Sunday demanded pay hike. Around 500 boatmen and helpers have been engaged by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) on contractual basis in 20 vulnerable districts of the state. They normally sail motor boats and help in rescue and relief works in flood affected areas.
Manas Ranjan Mohanty, a member of the boatmen and helpers’ union, said a boatman gets only Rs 7,100 per month as remuneration for their job.Similarly, a helper receives Rs 6,450 as monthly salary. “We get only six months’ work in a year from June to November. The other six months, we sit idle without any job. It’s very difficult to run our family with this meager income,” said Mohanty.
Union president Judhistir Mohapatra demanded the state government to regularize their job and hike their remuneration. “It is seen that the SRC engage new people in the place of senior members illegally. There is no security in the job. The government should provide insurance facility and other benefits received by the government employees,” he added.
Mohapatra said they have been urging the state government since 2010 to look into their matter, but nothing is materialized yet. “If the state government does not fulfill our demands, we will take the issue to the streets and stage dharna near the state assembly here on September 11,” he added.
SRC Bishnupada Sethi said boatmen and helpers are seasonal requirements. “We normally engage them keeping eye on the flood or cyclone during monsoon season. We can’t pay them throughout the year for the job of six months. Traditionally we have been doing this. We hire the boatmen and helpers during the time of flood or cyclone to rescue the affected people,” he added.