Imams of Delhi Waqf Board managed mosques stage sit-in, staff go on indefinite strike

Delhi Waqf Board employees went on an indefinite strike on Thursday, demanding payment of their salaries pending for months.

The Imams of Delhi Waqf Board managed mosques also sat on a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here, demanding payment of their honorarium pending for the last six months.

The Board employees had earlier warned to go on indefinite strike if their pending salaries were not paid till Wednesday evening.

The salaries of permanent employees are pending since May while the contractual ones have not been paid since February, said a striking employee.

"Not just the salaries, even there is no money for office expenses. We have been forced on the streets because our situation has become unbearable due to months of monetary hardships," he said.

Nearly 300 staff, including around 225 Imams and Muazzins of DWB mosques have not received wages since May, said Sajid Rashidi, president of All India Imam Association.

Rashidi said the problem of pending salaries was caused as the board was being run without a chairman and a full time chief executive officer.

"We are demanding payment of monthly salaries of Rs 18,000 for Imams and Rs 13,000 for Muazzins not paid for the last six months. Appointment of a full time CEO and earliest election of chairman of the Board are our other demands," he said.

A meeting of seven members of Waqf Board is due on November 19 to elect a new chairman. AAP MLA Amantullah Khan, who served as chairman of the Board, had to step down after his term as a member ended with Assembly elections in February.

The financial transactions of the Board are conducted through an account jointly operated by its chairman, one member and a government official, sources said.