Data entry operators not paid wages for last 18 months

Vijayawada: Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for panchayat raj and rural development K Pawan Kalyan expressed concern over the non-payment of wages to the small-time employees like data entry operators causing agony to those poor families.

He was reviewing the departments of panchayat raj, rural development, rural water supply engineering at the camp office here on Thursday.

“It is nothing but mismanagement of funds of the departments,” Pawan said and instructed the officials to prepare comprehensive reports on the financial irregularities department-wise.

Earlier, in the morning, when the Deputy Chief Minister was entering the office he stopped the car to see a group of women standing at the entrance. They said that they have been working as data entry operators in the panchayat raj engineering department and they had not received salaries for the last one-and-a-half years. The 129 employees appealed to the Deputy Chief Minister to pay the salaries and provide them job security.

Pawan assured them that he would look into the matter and try to solve the problem.

Later, the review meeting veered around the works on roads, bridges and the funds received from the Centre and loans obtained from Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The officials were instructed to submit the report in detail about the pending work and reasons for the pending. The damage to the roads and how long they have not been repaired and what happened to the funds allotted for road repairs should be included in the reports.

Pawan wanted to know whether the contractors who did not follow the quality were put in the blacklist or not.

Principal secretary Sasibhushan Kumar, engineer-in-chief Balu Naik and engineering officials were present.