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Around half a dozen workers on COVID-19 duty at a quarantine centre in Noida on Sunday allegedly threatened to jump off the terrace of the building and kill themselves over non-payment of their salaries.
The protesting workers were later pacified and brought down after some time, the police said, even as the district administration took note of the matter and an inquiry has been initiated, according to officials.
A video of the incident shot on a mobile phone also surfaced on the internet, purportedly showing a male and two female workers sitting on the railing on the terrace of the new district hospital building in Sector 39, while two other male colleagues stood next to them.
"We are not getting our payment and nobody is listening to us. Whoever we approach for the payment redirects us to somebody else and asks us not bother them. Who do we go to," one of the women is heard saying in the video.
When asked why they did not seek police's help, the male worker sitting on the railing said, "We have approached the police also but nobody has helped us till now. The policemen also keep watching."
The man shooting the video is then heard urging help from the administration.
"It's a request to the administration, please help them otherwise they are prepared to go to any level and are not ready to get down," he said.
The incident took place around 1 pm and later the protesting workers were pacified and brought down from the terrace of the building, the police said.
Meanwhile, the district administration said in a statement that it has taken note of the incident and payment of salaries to all workers will be ensured.
"An inquiry has been initiated and Chief Development Officer Anil Kumar Singh and Additional Chief Medical Officer Amit Vikram will carry it out. Payment of valid salaries to all workers will be ensured," Chief Medical Officer Deepak Ohri said.
Earlier on April 30, around a dozen sanitation workers had alleged shortage of protective gear at a government hospital where coronavirus patients are being treated and staged a protest outside the camp office of the district magistrate.
They protested outside the office of DM Suhas L Y who later said that the matter was being looked into and assured that the workers will be provided with safety kits.