Pareekshith Shet
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (EP)

Udupi, Apr 25: Employees of a private company working at the RTO office here protested on Tuesday April 25 against non-payment of their salaries. As they boycotted work, people coming to the office for their official needs were put to hardship.

RTO data entry department staff Chitra, Nandita and Jayalaxmi boycotted work as they were not paid their salaries. More than 200 people came to the data entry center and returned empty-handed.

The RTO head office in Bengaluru is assigning the work of staff recruitment and technology in different district RTOs to a private contractor. The RTO in Manipal has assigned contractors, Mind Solutions, the responsibility to appoint staff in the RTO.

Mind Solutions managing director Chandrakanth had recruited three people for the data entry department for a salary of Rs 4,500 per month. The company however has not paid their salaries for the last eight months. Whenever the staff asked for their salaries, they would be told by Chandrakanth to continue working and that the salaries would be paid later. The staff have been provided inferior quality computer which breaks down often. RTO officials have asked them to sort out their problems with their boss as they are not on RTO rolls. The response has disappointed the staff.

Daijiworld had written a letter to RTO Ramakrishna who responded that he had nothing to do with it. Therefore Daijiworld wrote another email to the head office in Bengaluru. The officials have promised to make the contractor pay the salaries and take suitable action against him.

Social activist Nithyananda Olakadu urged for payment of salaries and provision of basic amenities to the data entry staff.