Plant Operators launch protest campaign for salaries; setup camp in Mithi town
By GR Junejo
Mithi
Hundreds of Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plants of Tharparkar are still closed and the operators are deprived of their salaries despite release of huge funds by Sindh government to the Karachi-based company, who was awarded contract earlier this year.
The RO plants’ operators have again started their protest since Tuesday December 21, 2021 as according to them they have not been paid salaries for last eight months.
The agitating operators have setup their protest camp outside local press club in Mithi.
Irfan Bajer, Ramesh Meghwar, Khuda Bux Bajer and other operators told newsmen that the families of 750 plant operators are compelled to starve since long.
The protestors, who had observed hunger strike for salaries last year also, said the Pak Oasis Company had deprived them of six months’ salary, and now the new company – Oslo too has failed to pay the salaries of about eight months. “Like previous company, this company also threatens of sacking the employees whenever they demand the salaries,” they alleged.
The protesting operators also alleged that the Oslo Company had received a huge amount of Rs.440 million for payment of salaries and maintenance of RO Plants in the district about for months back but yet they have not been paid a single penny.
According to Irfan Bajer and others, hundreds of RO Plants are still closed and the company continues plundering the funds in the name of operating the plants for providing water to the people of Thar. “The company is sending fake reports to the government of functionalizing the RO Plants,” they said.
Requesting the judiciary and the Sindh government of taking the serious notice of the situation, the operators said they will continue their protest till the issue of salaries is resolved.
It may be recalled that Oslo Lighting Solution Pvt. Limited, a Karachi-based company, had claimed having functionalized 450 Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plants in Tharparkar district that were inoperative since last two years.
Sindh government had awarded the contract of functionalization of closed RO Plants of desert district to this company following the expiry of the Rs.5 billion contract with Pak Oasis Company.
“There were 623 RO Plants installed in Tharparkar district, of which 450 plants have been functionalized and handed over to the concerned department of Sindh government on June 2, 2021,” Dr. Safdar Faruqui, an official of the Oslo company had told local newsmen earlier this year.
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