Agartala, May 24: Ambulance services across Tripura were severely disrupted on Friday as employees of the 102 Ambulance Service staged a protest in front of IT Bhavan, Agartala, demanding better pay and essential employment benefits. The protesting workers warned of intensifying their agitation if their long-standing demands continue to be ignored.
The employees, including drivers and support staff, alleged that despite playing a critical role in patient transportation over the past five years, they are being denied fair compensation and basic entitlements. A delegation later submitted a seven-point demand charter to the Director of the Department of Information Technology.
“For five years, we’ve been doing the crucial job of transporting patients, but the promises made during recruitment have not been fulfilled,” said one of the protesting ambulance drivers. He added that while the recruitment agency—CAMP (Control Room National Ambulance Service)—had promised a monthly salary of ₹12,500, most employees receive only ₹8,000.
In addition to the wage gap, the workers alleged that there has been no implementation of mandatory employee benefits such as Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), leaving them financially vulnerable and without social security.
Despite repeated assurances from authorities, the demands of around 420 employees—including ambulance drivers and nurses—remain unaddressed, they said.
The suspension of services has hit patients hard, with many struggling to access emergency transportation. The protest underscores the pressing need for a more robust and worker-friendly healthcare infrastructure.
Calling for immediate intervention, the protesting workers urged the state government to ensure fair wages, benefits, and structured payments to avoid service disruptions in the future. “We are not just workers—we are lifelines. It’s time our rights are respected,” one protester said.
