HYDERABAD, Feb 15: Municipal workers on Tuesday ransacked offices of the TMA City in protest against non-payment of salary and other dues.

The workers of City, Latifabad and Qasimabad municipal administrations smashed windowpanes of the office of the taluka naib nazim and broke flowerpots of the taluka nazim's office.

They climbed the office building and raised slogans it from the rooftop. The president of the Taluka Municipal Staff Union, Mr Ghulam Mohammad Qureshi, and general secretary Akram Rajput led the protesters.

They said they had been demanding salaries of the last four months and had warned the authorities that if they were not paid salaries the situation might take a violent turn.

They said their demands were genuine but the taluka nazim was not accepting these rather threatening to use his authority. Mr Qureshi and Mr Rajput warned that if their problems were not solved they would give up the sanitation work.

They said salary of the last month and pension dues of four months had not been paid to them. They claimed liabilities of the workers for gratuity and other dues stood at Rs125 million.

They said the TMA was spending Rs700,000 on shield distribution among naib nazims. They said the amount could be utilized for clearance of pension dues. Taluka Nazim Moin Sheikh expressed concern over the office attack and said it was in spite of the fact the delay in payment of salaries was not related to the TMA City.

He said the TMA City tried to maintain cordial relations with the union and for that reason it ensured availability of scholarships, uniform and other facilities among sanitary workers.

He said after taking over as the taluka nazim he streamlined affairs in the TMA. He said financial conditions of the TMA were also improved and said the union was not justified to express its anger over the TMA City.

He said it should have protested against those who were really responsible for delay in payment of salary and dues. He said there was a lack of leadership in the union which had led to this incident.

QAC: The Qasimabad Action Committee at an urgent meeting held here on Monday accused the DCO, HDA and WASA authorities for collapse of drainage system in Qasimabad taluka.