Fisheries contract employees salary: Rs 7000 in place for Rs 1.7 lakh

Kollam: Authorities have only provided Rs 7,000 in place of a due of Rs 1.5 lakh for contract employees of the Fisheries Department. The three-figure salary was distributed for the month of November. One hundred project coordinators from all 14 districts should be given salaries from the month of November, last year. In some districts, employees have not received salaries since October.

A total of 1200 employees, including Aquaculture Promoters and other daily wage workers, have not received salaries for weeks. The promoters have a daily wage of Rs 675. Authorities explain that the initial fund provided for the project has been exhausted, which is why there is a crisis in salary distribution. Contract employees have been trying their best to notify the gravity of their situation to the authorities as they cannot manage to find a way for day today expenditures and to repay their loans. Authorities explain that salaries will be distributed as soon as funds are released.