Health workers lock offices for arrears

Health workers of Second Urban Primary Health Care project in Rajshahi city yesterday locked their local head office and five other branch offices demanding arrear salaries.
Putting the offices under lock and key at around 9am, they staged a sit-in in front of the head office at Nawdapara.
The protesting health workers alleged that at least 144 officials and employees under the project are not getting salaries since May last.
They said a few officials of the project are regularly visiting abroad and meking merry while leaving them unpaid for months.
Rajshahi City Corporation's (RCC) chief health officer Dr Abul Fazal rushed to the scene at around 12.30pm and asked the workers to withdraw their programme promising to pay two months' salaries within August 30.
But the workers rejected the proposal saying they cannot rely on his promise, said the witnesses.
Later at around 4pm, the workers called off agitation on the assurance of settling the matter without further delay. They however threatened to paralyse activities of the project in case of failure to pay the outstanding salaries within the promised period.
Dr Fazal said, "We told them that the things will be settled after the project director (Milon Bikash Pal) returns from Switzerland in a couple of days".
The RCC is implementing the health care project setting up its head office at Nawdapara and its branches at Panchabati, Kajla, Dasmari, Meherchandi and Budhpara.