Kozhikode: Watchmen allege neglect

KOZHIKODE: When their counterparts in other government offices are getting seven –hours duty and all government holidays, a section of Last Grade Servants (GS) who have been appointed as watchmen in the hostels under the Scheduled Tribe Development department are forced to work for continuous six days a week before getting an off day. Despite the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) terming the duty system of the watchmen as blatant violation of human violations and directed the state government to take appropriate actions in 90 day time, no steps have been taken so far.

Across the state, the ST development department  is running 108 pre-matric hostels and 19 Model residential schools (MRS) and other offices in which nearly 150 watchmen have been appointed. However the watchmen allege that there is no clarity on what are the duties of a watchmen posted in a hostel. “There are no clear written rules which is misused by the higher officials for make us do all the work including purchasing kitchen items to cleaning the hostels apart from our watchman job,” said Suni V. A., who is working in a hostel at Sulthan Bathery.

Based on a petition filed by the watchmen, the KAT asked the government to look into the possibilities of appointing daily wagers when the watchmen take weekly off and public holidays. “However since the department didn’t take any action, we approached the tribunal which in an order directed the government to rationalize working hours by restricting it to eight hours a day and 48 hours a week instead of 24 hours and 144 hours respectively,” said Manoj George, a watchman at Kalpetta hostel. “Though tribunal has directed the government to take steps, no action is taken even after four months,” added Jinoy Jose, a watchman at Mananthavady.