Agartala, July 31: Thousands of irregular and casual government employees across Tripura on Friday observed a statewide ‘Black Day’ to press for long-pending demands, including regularisation of services, job security, and equal pay for equal work.
Employees from several government departments participated in coordinated protests by wearing black badges and tying black cloths across their faces as a symbolic mark of protest. The demonstrations were organized under the banner of the Tripura Irregular Employees Forum, which has been campaigning for the rights of contractual, casual, and irregular workers employed in various government departments.
According to the Forum, more than 35,000 irregular employees are currently working in different government establishments across the state. Of them, nearly 9,500 are serving in the Health Department, many drawing monthly salaries between ₹12,000 and ₹15,000, which the Forum says are insufficient to meet rising living costs.
Speaking to reporters, Forum member Babul Acharjee, who has been serving in the Health Department since 1998, said successive governments have failed to find a permanent solution to the issue of regularisation. He claimed that under the previous Left Front government, employees were eligible for regularisation after completing ten years of service, but the policy was discontinued after the change of government in 2018.
Acharjee also alleged that before the 2018 Assembly elections, leaders of the present ruling party had assured irregular employees that their services would be regularised within six months of forming the government. He said the promise remains unfulfilled despite several years having passed.
The Forum accused the government of ignoring repeated appeals from employees and highlighted the plight of many workers who retired after decades of service without being regularised or receiving the benefits available to permanent government employees.
“We are not seeking charity; we are demanding justice for our years of dedicated service,” Acharjee said, adding that many employees continue to work under uncertain conditions despite playing an important role in public service delivery.
The Forum appealed to Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha to formulate a comprehensive policy ensuring regularisation, service security, and wage parity for irregular employees.
The protesting employees urged the government to initiate dialogue at the earliest, stating that a timely resolution would not only address the concerns of thousands of workers but also strengthen the efficiency and morale of the state’s administrative and healthcare systems.
