Fellowships to poor students is ok, but where are our wages, ask DPS workers

Srinagar: While Delhi Public School (DPS), Athwajan, has announced award and fellowship for Ganderbal girl who passed the 10th grade exams with outstanding performances; it has denied wages to scores of its non-teaching workers during COVID-10 lockdown period.

Scores of non-teaching staff including drivers, painters and other workers who are working in the school from years, have been left to fend for themselves by the school administration.

“The school paid salary to the teaching staff for the lockdown period but gulped down our wages for the same period. It has become difficult for us to run our household chores due to non-payment of wages by the administration,” the workers told news agency KDC.

They said “The administration of the school collected tuition fees from students but denied salary and wages to the poor workers”.

DPS is one of the expensive private schools in Srinagar where students of well-off families are enrolled.

“The school collected crores of rupees from students for the lockdown period, yet it siphoned off our small wages for the lockdown period,” the workers said.

They said that granting fellowship to poor students is welcome and maybe it is for publicity stunt as well, but it would have been prudent from the administration if they paid wages to us, the workers said.

“I have five family members to feed on my small wages that I earn as salary from the school. Without being paid, I had to get family requirements on credit, and now repaying it is a big burden on me. It is all because I was not paid by the DPS administration,” a worker from Srinagar told KDC.

As per COVID guidelines of the government, no institution could lay off or deny wages to its employees. However, the DPS has thrown guidelines to the wind, they added. (KDC)