Jal Jeevan Staff Protest 5-Month Salary Delay Nagpur: A five-month delay in the payment of honorariums has sparked a statewide non-cooperation movement among contractual employees under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) (SBMG), with protests set to escalate from May. The agitation, which began on April 20, has spread across Maharashtra as workers demand immediate action from the chief minister. Employees allege that honorariums under JJM have remained unpaid for nearly five months, while SBMG staff have not received payments for around three months. They claim irregular salary disbursements over the past several months have caused severe financial stress, making it difficult to cover essential expenses such as rent, education, and healthcare. Despite multiple directives from authorities, the employees argue that these orders have not been implemented. The Maharashtra State Water and Sanitation Govt Contractual Employees Action Committee emphasized the critical role of the workforce in rural development, highlighting their contributions to key milestones. The committee noted that 38,805 villages have been declared “ODF Plus” (Open Defecation Free Plus), while 14,472 villages have been certified under the “Har Ghar Jal” initiative, which aims to provide tap water connections to every household. The employees’ frustration stems from the lack of timely compensation, which they say has undermined their ability to sustain livelihoods and continue their work. The protest has drawn attention to systemic issues in the implementation of welfare schemes, with workers accusing officials of neglecting their responsibilities.#chief_minister #jal_jeevan_mission #swachh_bharat_mission_gramin #odf_plus
