Dimapur Municipal Council employees urge release of unpaid salaries

DIMAPUR — The Dimapur Municipal Council Employees Welfare Union (DMCEWU) has appealed to the government to release five months’ worth of unpaid salaries, giving them until July 19 to address the issue.

If the government fails to respond positively within this period, the union will consider further actions of agitation, said DMCEWU president, Vinoto Ayemi during a press conference on Thursday.

Painting a stark picture of the hardships faced by DMC employees, Ayemi said that the lack of salary for the past five months has pushed some employees to the brink of homelessness and is jeopardising the education of their children.

There are approximately 430 employees under DMC, which is one of the three municipalities in the state.

He said that the union had previously been assured by authorities that the issue would be resolved following the Lok Sabha and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections, citing the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as a factor in the delay. However, despite the conclusion of the elections, the salaries remain unpaid.

Therefore, the DMCEWU urges the concerned authority to address the matter and respond within seven days, he said.

Ayemi attributed the financial struggles of the DMC to the closure of toll gate tax collection, and that the crisis would persist unless alternative revenue sources are created.

He also appealed to the state government to allow the DMC to resume collecting urban utility fees/entry fees from commercial vehicles entering Dimapur’s municipal jurisdiction, as it was their main revenue source.