Dependents of 50 deceased employees of coal town civic body Jharkhand Mineral Area Development Authority (JMADA) who are awaiting for jobs on compassionate grounds, staged a day-long dharna at its headquarters on Monday.

The protesters, who have lost their family members during the service period, have planned a fast unto death programme scheduled to start from Tuesday.

The dependents, including some of such candidates who have been assured employment in writing on June 23, 2017 by the then Managing Director of JMADA, Dharnidhar Mandal following an agreement held with him under the mediation of then Tundi MLA, Late Rajkishore Mahto charged the present administration of backtracking on its promise.

Talking to The Telegraph Online, Md Ajharuddih Khan, 32, son of Md Mujibuddin, a disinfector of JMADA who died during his service period said, “We have duly submitted applications as per the laid provision of job on compassionate ground to JMADA administration much ahead of agreement held with JMADA MD in 2017 who in turn assured us to launch the employment process of dependents of deceased employees since January 2018, but it is yet to begin.”

“After several subsequent meetings with JMADA administration we have been told that as JMADA is passing through financial constraints there is no scope for new employment,” said Ajharuddin and added that the fact is contrary as the JMADA’s financial condition has improved recently due to a threefold increase in the water rentals as well as due to regular payment of bazar fee by the companies like BCCL.

Indresh Shukla, executive manager cum technical member of JMADA said, “All recruitments, including fresh recruitments and recruitments on compassionate ground are lying pending since 2009 in JMADA due to its extremely poor financial condition but as there is some improvement in financial condition since a few months we are now considering to prepare a fresh list by taking application from the dependents of all deceased employees as the number of such job seeking dependents may have increased after 2017 agreement.”

“After preparing the list we will recruit some of the skilled dependents as we are facing shortage of plumbers, fitter, electricians and mechanics etc, ”said Shukla.