PSU order: Celebrations begin in Bihar

‘‘The news brings us joy. Let the money come when it does. The government was trying to abdicate its responsibilty and the court order is a snub for it,’’ says a jubilant Gopal Tiwari, an employee of Bihar State Industrial Development Corporation.

Tiwari — who got his last salary 17 months ago — believes The Indian Express campaign on the issue helped their cause tremendously.

Last evening itself, employees went around passing the news of the order. By 10 am this morning, most employees came to their office premises and the scene in most offices was similar — employees reading the newspaper time and again and praising the Supreme Court.

Over the last 10 years, the condition of nearly 17,000 employees of sick PSUs fell from enviable to miserable. Mohan Thakur has a job with BSAIDC but for the last 10 years he has not seen his salary which should now be Rs 6,000 a month. Parimal Bhattacharjee of the same corporation is facing worse times. It was his son Chandan Bhattacharjee’s self-immolation last year that had brought the issue to focus. Without proper treatment, his wife too died of cancer.