Land records: Work stopped over payments delay

Computer operators say they have not been paid for six months.

FAISALABAD: As many as 44 computer operators of the Urban Unit of the Excise Department on Friday stopped work in protest against a six-month delay in payment of their salaries.

They did not computerise land records on Friday and said they would remain on strike till their salaries were paid.

Talking to newsmen, Muhammad Amjad, one of the protesters, said there were 44 computer operators working for the Urban Unit. He said they had been shifted from the DCO’s office to the Excise and Taxation Department six months ago and had been assigned computerisation of land record.

“We have been doing our duties but have not been paid,” he said. He said neither the Excise and Taxation Department nor the DCO’s office had responded to their complaints.

“We requested the excise and taxation officers to pay us our salaries. They told us that we were employees of the Urban Unit of the DCO’s office and should be paid from that office he said.

“When we contacted the officers of the Urban Unit of the DCO’s office and asked for our salaries, they told us that we now worked for the Excise and Taxation Department and should get our salaries from there,” Amjad said.

He said the computer operators were sick of shuttling between the two departments and not getting their wages.

“We have been forced to take loans and open tabs at shops,” he said. “Now even shopkeepers don’t lend daily use items to us,” he said.

Excise and Taxation Urban Unit in-charge Wajid Ali said funds had been arranged for payment of salaries to the computers operators who had been working with them for computerising property record. He said they would be paid next week.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2014.