Annual ?2.5 Million Welfare Fund Announced; Agreement Reached on Honorarium and PF Dues

Deoghar: The strike by daily-wage and sanitation workers of the Deoghar Municipal Corporation came to an end on Monday after negotiations between the civic administration and employee representatives, coupled with the intervention of MP Nishikant Dubey, helped break the deadlock. Following the agreement, the employees decided to resume work with immediate effect.According to an official communication issued by the Municipal Corporation, Jharkhand Local Bodies Employees Federation president Sanjay Mandal assured the administration that all striking employees would return to their respective workplaces and would refrain from disrupting work or resorting to strikes without proper authorization in the future. In return, the corporation agreed to take several positive steps regarding the workers’ key demands.The civic body stated that it would make efforts to ensure payment of employees’ honorarium by the 15th of every month, subject to the availability of internal revenue resources. It also assured workers that pending EPF and PF contributions would be cleared in a phased manner, with the first installment expected to be deposited within three months. In addition, the corporation promised to consider an increase in honorarium sympathetically, taking into account labour department notifications, its financial capacity and revenue position.Meanwhile, MP Nishikant Dubey announced that he would contribute ?2.5 million annually from his personal funds to an Employee Welfare Fund for sanitation workers. In a social media post, he said the decision followed discussions with union leaders and helped pave the way for ending the strike. He expressed hope that future issues would be resolved through dialogue between employees and the administration. Mayor Ravi Kumar Raut described the announcement as a historic step towards the social and economic upliftment of municipal workers and sanitation staff. He said the annual contribution to the welfare fund would provide support to needy employees and strengthen safeguards for their welfare.With the strike now over, municipal authorities expect sanitation services and other public utility operations to return to normal. The administration has also appealed to employees to cooperate in ensuring the smooth delivery of civic services and maintaining cleanliness across the city.

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