Dimapur Municipal Council employees demand release of salary, serve 10-day ultimatum

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Sep. 12 (EMN): The Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) Employees’ Welfare Union has served an ultimatum to the DMC administrator to release their salaries within 10 days, which has been pending for two months.

The union also organised a poster campaign at the DMC premises on Monday, demanding the municipal council to release their pending salary.

President of DMC Employees’ Welfare Union, T Revo Anar, told journalists that the employees had not received their salary for two months – July to August — and appealed to the state government to immediately take up the issue, failing which the workers would retaliate with “no pay no work” policy.

Anar informed that the DMC’s main source of revenue was from the toll tax collected from check gates but after the government ordered its closure, especially New Field check gate, Dillai gate and Khatkati gate, the revenue shrunk.

“After the government issued order to close all check gates, we lost 60% revenue, and how can we give public service; and since the main resource of DMC is closed, we are not able to move forward,” he stated.

He reiterated that another prime source of DMC’s income is trade license, house rent and urban utility fees, which have also been closed yet.

Therefore, he appealed to the government to open the revenue source, which is check posts, and allow the DMC to continue collecting toll tax, while claiming that the council only collects the amount approved by the government.

Excess employees in DMC

Anar stated that there are 429 employees in the DMC, against government’s approval of only 260 staff strength in the council.

He shared that the council’s total monthly expenditure is about INR 1.2 crore, including salary and maintenance of vehicle, sanitation and others.

The union also submitted a memorandum to the administrator of DMC on Monday to be forwarded to the state government. It was informed that the first memorandum was submitted on May 27, 2022, asking the government to reconsider the closure of check gates, but there was no response.

The memorandum stated that the DMC has not had an elected body since 2010, and as it is managed by the government through its deputed administrative officer, the council is deprived of the fund allocation earmarked for municipal bodies by the central government.

Further, it mentioned that after the notification by the government to close all check gates, the DMC was also debarred from the collection of urban utility fees, which has added to the poor financial condition of the civic body, affecting not only the monthly salary but also service benefits, including gratuity, leave encashment, and professional tax.

‘The DMC has not been provided with financial grants and the major earning sources of revenue are also being stopped, following which the DMC Employees’ Welfare Union approached the competent authority vide our representation apprising the factum, thereto prayed for consideration of the matter enabling to make payment of the salary of the staff and employees who are wholly dependent on their salary, however there is no redressal,’ it read.

“Having exhausted all the revenues at the present stage, we are compelled to take the last resort of protest, hence the ultimatum of 10 days from (the issuance date of) this memorandum for redressal of our grievances, otherwise the DMC Employees’ Welfare Union shall be compelled to go for no work till our grievance in respect of payment of salaries are redressed,” it added.