Thapa parts with salary to help hotel workers

GTA chairman Anit Thapa has donated his five months' salary to workers of the Central Heritage Resort and Spa

SNS, DARJEELING, 18 SEPT 2020: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Chairman Anit Thapa has donated his five months' salary to workers of the Central Heritage Resort and Spa.The workers of the hotel located on Robertson Road are up in arms and demanding that their dues since April last be paid.

They had also staged a dharna on September 13 under the aegis of the apolitical Gorkha Ekta Karmachari Sangathan (GEKS).

While handing over the amount to the staff at a hotel here today, Gorkha Ian Mukti Morcha (Binoy Tamang camp) central committee leader DK Pradhan said: "Due to the pandemic, a lot of people have lost their jobs, while some have not received their salary. One such case is here where around 80 workers of the Central Hotel have not been paid by the management after the lockdown started. The GTA had also held a meeting with hotel owners and workers in which it was decided that hotels should pay a percentage of the salary to their workers."

"The GTA chairman met these workers and also spoke with the owner of the hotel and did not get a good response, so he decided to donate 5 months of his salary to them.We hope it will provide them some respite," Mr Pradhan said, adding that the Morcha would not remain silent on this and would take legal action.

GEKS general secretary Sahil Thapa, who is also the staff of the hotel, said, "We were called by the GTA chairman yesterday to discuss our problems. He told us that he would personally help us financially. He has asked us to approach him if we have any problems in the future also. We are thankful to him."