A five-month delay in payment of honorariums has triggered a statewide non-cooperation movement by contractual employees under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) (SBMG) in Maharashtra, with protests set to intensify from May. The agitation, which began on April 20, has spread across the state as employees demand immediate intervention from the chief minister.
Mounting Financial Stress
According to employees, honorariums under JJM have remained pending for nearly five months, while staff under SBMG have not received payments for around three months. They said irregular salary disbursement over the past several months has led to mounting financial stress, making it difficult to manage essential expenses such as rent, education, and healthcare. The agitation comes despite multiple directives from authorities. Employees allege that these orders remain unimplemented.
Role in Rural Development
Highlighting their role in rural development, the Maharashtra State Water and Sanitation Govt Contractual Employees Action Committee said the workforce has been instrumental in achieving key milestones. As many as 38,805 villages have been declared 'ODF Plus', while 14,472 villages have been certified under the 'Har Ghar Jal' initiative. Despite staging protests in February, employees said there was no improvement in the situation, prompting the current non-cooperation stance.
Intensification of Protests
Under the agitation, employees have limited participation in official meetings, report submissions, and video conferences. The committee has warned that protests will intensify from May if their demands are not addressed and has sought assurance that no salary deductions will be imposed during the agitation period.
Structural Issues
Employees have also raised concerns over structural issues, including the absence of a dedicated budget head for honorariums and delays caused by the SNA SPARSH system, which reportedly results in a 15-20 day lag in salary credits. They have demanded consolidation of payments under a single category to streamline disbursal.
Ramakant Gaikwad, chairman of the action committee, said the government must act swiftly on dues, regularisation, and long-pending administrative reforms.
