Tripura Grameen Bank management, ending a traditional practice, has decided not to pay puja bonus to Daily wage workers and Sanitation workers this year. Even payment of the meager amount of puja advance has also been stopped. The affected workers have sought the Chief Minister’s intervention to this end.
For a long time, these workers received a. 8.33 percent puja bonus every year.
The decision of the management shocked all sections of employees of the TGB as well as common people. The bank is dependent on the services of the daily wage workers and sanitation workers. There are around 200 such workers rendering their services in the TGB branches in Tripura. Moreover, whereas the State Government – which is a shareholder of the Bank – is paying puja bonus to its daily wage workers, the TGB management is walking in the opposite direction.
Recently, the TGB management, in a press conference, proudly announced that it registered a gross profit of Rs 260 crore 25 lakhs and Rs 200 crore 3 lakh net profit during the 2020-21 FY. Despite the huge amount of profit, the management, instead of giving the lower level workers some incentives, it has decided to make the Puja celebration worse for daily wage workers and sanitization workers.
In view of the decision of the TGB Management, the daily wage and sanitization workers have demanded intervention of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb so that the workers can get the Puja bonus and advances as long practiced.
Tripura Government is also a shareholder of TGB – and the Chief Minister can rightfully intervene and stop such kind ill-treatment that has been meted out to the helpless workers. The affected workers also have drawn the attention of the Labour department and demanded immediate steps.
Sources in the Bank said, after the amalgamation with the PNB, TGB’s own management has little control over these issues like bonus etc – and the GM of PNB is not in favour of paying bonus to the daily wage workers even though several papers and circulars relating to the Bonus were present before him to persuade the GM for paying long practiced puja Bonus.
The daily wage and sanitation workers are hoping for the Chief Minister’s intervention.
