70% staff of BRT waiting for their Salaries since January 2020

Peshawar (KikxNow) the employees of BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Peshawar are waiting for their delayed salaries since January 2020. Majority of these daily wage laborers mostly Watchmen and other workers are working on reach three section of the BRT and belongs to different parts of the province.

Talking to the KikxNow these laborers said that their salaries are delayed due to the Contractor. A Watchman from Karak said that even in the Ramadan We are working day and night, however the management closed their eyes. He added that we are have not enough money to buy Sehri and Iftari for us and that the local inhabitants are offering Aftari and Sehri for us,which we share among us.

Another employ of the BRT of reach three delibrating on current situation said that I am also an Auto Riksha Driver and earn around 500 daily to feed my family and to bear other expense, but now due to the ongoing Covid-19 lock down create hurdle for us and even we can’t move anywhere .

According to these workers more than 70 percent of the workers didn’t received their salaries and their families are left to suffer in term of not paying house rent and pay for the daily groceries from the local shops.

The contractor Usman work on Reach three when contacted to reflect on the matter said that these workers didn’t fulfill their duties, that’s why their salaries are not being paid. He added due their negligence different parts are being stolen. He said that the workers only asking their salaries, however they dont care about our situation.
According to the contractor he will register FIR against these workers, who are demanding irrational salaries.

The BRT is only project of the ruling PTI government initiated during their earlier term in Peshawar,l. The then -Chief Minister Pervez Khattak claimed that the project will be completed in six months.

The govt initiated the project with the financial assistance from Asian Bank, but still in pending, due to structural changes. The local business community also suffering, while some them lost works. The Peshawar High Court ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (F.I.A) to initiate investigation, but later the provincial government challenge the the orders in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, where the PHC orders are being set-aside.