Green Ambassadors Protest Over Unpaid Salaries in Anakapalle

Visakhapatnam: A state government memo directing district panchayat officers to clear pending salaries of Green Ambassadors has gone largely unimplemented in several villages of Anakapalle district, leaving sanitation workers unpaid for months.

In Rolugunta mandal, Green Ambassadors staged a dharna at the MPDO office on Wednesday, alleging that government-mandated payments — including the recently approved Rs 4,000 Occupational Health Allowance — had not been released in most panchayats. Workers said only two panchayats had initiated the revised payments, while others continued to ignore orders.

Protesters submitted a petition to the MPDO, urging him to escalate the issue to the district collector. They attached copies of the government memo instructing district panchayat officers to clear pending remuneration and ensure monthly payments from Gram Panchayat funds, including the 15th Finance Commission grant.

Green Ambassadors are responsible for waste collection, drainage cleaning and overall sanitation under the state’s Clean and Green Swachh Bharat initiatives, particularly in tribal and rural areas. Workers said they faced persistent delays in salary disbursals despite their essential role.

“We handle all sanitation work, but the health allowance announced in June 2025 has still not reached us,” a worker said. “Only two villages have implemented the order. We have families to support. The government must ensure justice.”

The workers demanded immediate intervention from the district administration and warned of intensified protests if payments were further delayed.