KOHIMA, MAY 24 : Expressing its resentment over the non-release of salaries, the officers and staffs of the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA) under Rural Development through a representation has appealed the state government to release the salaries on or before May 31, failing which it has cautioned to resort to agitation or strike at any point of time without being complacent.
The salaries of about 300 employees from all the eleven districts of the state, from the Project Director to the peon have not been paid since September last.
An officer said earlier in September 9, 2015, a representation has been submitted citing all the pros and cons of non-release of salary, and has proposed for a pen-down strike in October last which was called off as per the assurance from the department to release the salaries. However, he said till date there has not been any positive outcome.
Converging today at the Directorate of Rural Development, the affected officers and staffs from all the districts has re-submitted their representation to the Director Rural Development Blocks Nagaland, wherein it has alleged the department’s lackadaisical attitude towards the welfare of the employees.
While stating that salary provides security and safety net for its survival, which is also a means of its loyalty and higher productivity towards the Department, the aggrieved employees stated ‘non release of salary amounting to an act of criminal offence’ is causing untold miseries in the overall domestic and psychological front.
The aggrieved employees maintained that due to the complacent attitude of the department, there is likelihood that due to non release of salaries for almost a year, may lead to jeopardizing the smooth function of the office atmosphere.
A Junior Engineer (JEE) from DRDA Kohima interacting with media persons said the state government has accumulated its share of 10% since 2012, due to which the Ministry has not deposited its 80% share and since then there has been a delayed in the release of the employees’ salaries.
He also said that six months salaries of the employees for the last year have been adjusted with the loan taken from MGNREGA, while they received the salary of July 2015 on December 22, 2015.
An aggrieved mother said many of their children are unable to go to schools since admission cannot be done on credit and books and uniforms cannot be bought on credit, while another said they have been chased out of their rented house due to non-payment of rent for the past many months.
The aggrieved employees said non-release of their salaries since September last they have been put into untold miseries in the field of health, nutrition, education, medical and residential occupation etc causing a psychological conflict to its very own existence.
In a representation submitted to the Director DRDA, the aggrieved employees have stated that ’it is therefore requested, that the department give in a serious thought to resolve this salary issue on or before the 31st May, 2016 or revert all the DRDA employees supposed to be in foreign service back to the parent department in a rational way’.
It expressed hope that the department will play a pro active role where the employees’ needs are honored, and that in return it can increase the sense of value to the department.
Meanwhile, it is informed that during the meeting with the aggrieved employees, the Director DRDA has given his assurance to take up the matter at the state level at the earliest.
