Kerala clears salary arrears for PRISM project contract workers before Onam

The Kerala government has moved to settle long-pending salary arrears owed to approximately 100 contract staff members who worked under the PRISM project, with disbursements commencing this week. The payment clearing addresses dues accumulated over an extended period, according to representatives of the affected employees.

The timing of the salary settlement coincides with the approach of Onam, Kerala's major annual festival, when workers typically face increased financial pressure for household expenses and celebrations. The clearance represents a significant relief for the former contract staff, many of whom had been awaiting payment for months.

Representatives of the affected employees confirmed that the disbursement process began on Monday, marking the first substantial progress toward resolving the outstanding arrears. The move reflects renewed government attention to settling liabilities owed to temporary and contract workers in state-funded projects.

The PRISM project, which had employed these workers on temporary contracts, had been a subject of concern regarding wage payment delays. The current settlement demonstrates efforts to regularize payment obligations to former contractual workforce members.