Garbage collection stops in Jowai

JOWAI: The state of cleanliness and hygiene in the entire Jowai town is now in a very bad state since the Jowai Municipal Board has stopped collection and disposal of garbage and cleaning the Iawmusiang market area.
Heaps of garbage lie strewn around the entire town and have now begun to emit foul smell sparking fears of severe health hazard among the residents.
Staffs of the JMB including sweepers, drivers and officials have stopped their work citing non-payment of their salaries for the past eight months.
“The Jowai Municipal Board has not paid the salary of its staffs including the drivers and sweepers,” sources said, adding, “JMB staffs have not received their salary since September last year.
“Though several localities in Jowai have paid us service charges, however the service charge is hardly enough to meet the expenses of the JMB. The service charge collection is around Rs 1.50 lakh per month whereas the salary of more than 90 staffs of the JMB comes to around Rs 9 lakh per month,” the sources informed.
The Jowai Municipal Board, which is a self revenue-generating body, has been functioning with minimum funds sanctioned by the government in the form of grant in aid.
Due to non-payment of salaries, Grade IV staffs including sweepers and drivers have   called for an indefinite strike while the official staff joined them on Thursday with a pen-down strike.
Till a few years ago, toll gates installed by the JMB was the only sources of revenue. However, in 2009 all the toll gates were closed down which has resulted in fund crisis for the Board.
“We have intimated the matter to the State government and steps are being taken to ensure that JMB staffs resume their work,” said JMB Chief Executive Officer C.S. Laloo.