Hyderabad: Several contract workers from the Telangana Heritage department have not been paid their salaries in the last few months. The issue has been plaguing workers who specifically take care of some of the biggest historical sites in Hyderabad.
On enquiring with the contract workers across different historical sites, Siasat.com found that the non-payment of salaries has been an issue for some for at least three months. “This could be due to the change in government leading to some issues in finances. We have not been told anything as to why there is a delay,” said one of the workers, who did not want to be named.
Another worker who works at a monument near Malakpet said that their salaries just stopped coming in from two months. “We have been getting by due to our savings and tips from some of the visitors, but that is barely enough. At least the government should clarify as to when they will send it,” he added.
The contract worker also said that they were hoping that the Congress government in Telangana would turn their temporary employment into permanent ones. “We have been working at our jobs for years, but now that seems far away,” said another employee who is currently struggling to get by. Officials from the department however did not want to comment on the issue.
Moreover, there has also been a fund crunch for the department leading to the state government putting restoration work on monuments on hold. Restoration work at the historical Baadshahi Ashoorkhana in the Old City and the Paigah tombs for example, have been currently halted due to lack of funds. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture The funding from the state that was supposed to come in is yet to come in, said sources.
