Chennai: Construction workers yet to get Rs 8 lakh from MRTS

Chennai: Officials of Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) officials owe nearly '8 lakh to the construction labour working at the elevated MRTS-metro corridor of St Thomas Mount.

One of the major reasons for the delay of the project, to be completed by 2016, is the non-release of funds to workers, labourers alleged.

“We have been appointed on a contract basis nearly a year ago to construct a mini commercial complex and a few cabins inside the corridor. However, only 20 per cent of the workers go to work due to non-payment of wages. So, the construction has been moving at a snail’s pace ever since,” said a worker.

Another worker alleged that officials had threatened them that they would not release any money if the workers do not get back to work – the reason why 20 per cent of them have resumed to support their flood-hit family back in Bihar.

“Officials have been making false promises about releasing the money soon. But, they have only threatened us for the past one-year. On top of that, we live in a tiny dark room with dingy walls, broken roof and clogged drainage,” said a worker.

He further added that few miscreants living adjacent to the tenements barge in at night for anti-social activities and have stolen articles worth over 75,000 when they are at work. The officials however denied writing to the police.

When contacted, the official denied the allegations and was vague as to when they would dispatch the money.

The St Thomas Mount Metro Station is a four way integrated station connecting suburban, MRTS, metro and subway. At present, the St Thomas Mount metro station connects sub-urban trains in the Beach – Tambaram section.
Subsequently, it is planned to extend with MRTS and bus system.