6 months & counting, 30K get no pay for cleaning school toilets

Over 30,000 sanitary workers who clean toilets in government schools in rural areas across the state have not been paid salaries for more than six months in this academic year, allegedly because the department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj stopped releasing funds.

- N DHAMOTHARAN @Coimbatore

According to sources, many school headmasters and teachers give them money from their own pockets.

K. Solachi (55) of Thiyagarajapuram in Sankarapuram block in Kallakurichi district told TNIE she has been working at the middle school in the village for more than 10 years. "During the last academic year, out of 12 months, the panchayat paid my salary for only six months. The remaining six months' salary (₹9,000) was not paid. I have been meeting officers frequently about this, but to no avail. Since the beginning of this academic year, I have not been paid my salary. I have to get ₹18,000 for 12 months," she said.

She said that without a salary, she could not meet her food and medical expenses and eats only the noon meal at school.