Durgapur, March 28: His hair silver and forehead a mosaic of lines, 70-year-old Madhusudhan Mishra looks like many other men his age. But he isn’t.

After 34 years as a gardener-cum-watchman at a primary school, he is still a temporary employee and entitled to Rs 35 a month. That is what he used to get in 1970, when he joined Majhergram Primary School at Aushgram, about 150 km from Calcutta.

Mishra should have retired 10 years ago. But he is still seen working in the school garden. “I love it,” he says.

His salary of Rs 35 gets deposited in the bank every month. In 34 years, Mishra has not taken a day’s leave. He has also not got a single promotion or increment.

“I am an example of the ‘labour friendly’ government’s negligence. I have a 1970 appointment letter issued by the then district school board of Burdwan, asking me to work as a temporary worker in the school. Since then, I have been hoping that some day I will become a permanent government service cardholder. At 70, such hopes have deserted me,” he said.

But why doesn’t he retire? Mishra said: “I can’t imagine a life without the school. I love it, and I cannot leave it.”

Years ago, he had urged several government offices, including the chief minister’s, to look into his status in the school. Nothing came of it.

Headmaster Kanailal Ghosh said: “I tried my best to address Mishra’s grievances by urging the departments concerned time and again to at least increase his salary but all efforts were in vain.”

Policemen in the region know the old man. Aushgram circle inspector Anupam Bhattacharjee said: “Mishra can continue his job for as long as he can. After him, no one will be recruited in the post. It has already been abolished.”

Burdwan primary school council president Sahidul Haque said: “We are paying him from the district contingency fund.”

The authorities were without answer when asked why he wasn’t asked to retire or given a raise in all these years.

Mishra’s family had urged him to opt for retirement but he did not heed the advice. Son Jagabandhu, a bank employee, said: “I have never seen my father take leave from school. I keep requesting him to retire but he says he will work as long as he is fit.”