Sanitation services in Chanpatia town, West Champaran, remained suspended for the second consecutive day. Sanitation workers staged a protest at the main gate of the Nagar Panchayat office, alleging non-deposit of their Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) amounts deducted from their wages. Due to the strike, heaps of garbage accumulated on the city's streets and in various localities, forcing residents to navigate through filth and foul odors.

Protesting sanitation workers, including Kamlesh Ram, Ranjeet Kumar, Yashwant, Rajkumar Ram, Santosh Raut, Shambhu Raut, Surendra Raut, Vijay Raut, Shankar Raut, Mahendra Raut, and Rajan Raut, accused the Pratap Seva Sankalp NGO of deducting EPF amounts from their monthly wages but failing to deposit them into their accounts on time. They also stated that the employer's share of the EPF contribution was not being deposited. The workers demanded immediate deposit of their EPF amounts and resolution of the issue.

This marks the second strike by sanitation workers against the Pratap Seva Sankalp NGO. A few months ago, they had also ceased work protesting inadequate wages. These recurring disputes are directly impacting the city's sanitation system, causing significant inconvenience to the general public.

Nisha Kumari, the sanitation officer of the Nagar Panchayat, stated that the NGO has been asked to make alternative arrangements for cleaning, as it is responsible for providing manpower. Vishwanath Pratap, secretary of Pratap Seva Sankalp, admitted that payments for two months were processed, with one month's EPF deposited and the other month's due to technical reasons. He assured that the amount would be deposited soon. Executive Officer Hemant Kumar said that the city's sanitation system would be restored shortly.