Workers protest over unpaid wages brings traffic to a halt in Ambassa-Gandachara Road

In a desperate bid to draw attention to their prolonged struggle for unpaid wages, workers from Jagannath Panchayat, under the Ambassa block, staged a protest earlier today. The situation escalated as Ambassa, a representative of the workers, resorted to locking the block office, and fellow protesters blocked the vital Ambasa-Gandachara road. The abrupt roadblock brought traffic to a standstill, leaving commuters stranded and exacerbating their woes.

The root cause of the protest lies in the non-payment of wages for workers engaged in the Rural Employment Guarantee Act (REGA) projects in the Jagannath Panchayat. Despite multiple pleas and notifications to the Panchayat, there has been no discernible effort to address the issue, leading the workers to take drastic measures.

A distressed REGA worker stated that the grievances have been communicated to the Panchayat on numerous occasions, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. Frustrated by the lack of action, Ambassa took matters into his own hands by initiating the block office lockdown. Simultaneously, irate workers blocked the Ambasa-Gandachhara road, causing widespread disruption.

Upon learning about the unfolding crisis, high-ranking officers promptly rushed to the protest site to engage with the aggrieved workers. After a series of discussions, the officials assured the protesters that immediate steps would be taken to resolve the wage-related issues. In light of this commitment, the workers decided to lift the road blockade, providing relief to stranded commuters.