NVCO opposes deduction of salary

Dimapur, March 13 (EMN): Close on the heel of the government’s decision to voluntarily deduct one-day salary of all the government employee towards Chief Secretary’s Welfare Fund (CSWF), Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) has strongly objected to the move and termed as ‘unreasonable.’ “The government of Nagaland as a welfare state cannot simply take any decision against the welfare of its employee as a whole. The one-day salary or monthly salary is the hard earned money of the employee and this is their actionable claim where the government cannot simply play with it in the name of welfare fund without considering any genuine cause or reason or relief or disaster, etc,’ NVCO press and media cell stated in a press release. While welcoming the government’s decision in doing away with VIP culture such as banning of VIP escort, removing nameplates, no more parliamentary secretaries etc., NVCO failed to understand the decision of one-day salary deduction for CSWF. Even as the one-day salary deduction was stated to be voluntary with a condition wherein employee unwilling to contribute towards the fund have been directed to inform accordingly in writing, NVCO has termed it as not voluntary but simply harassment and compulsion as no individual employee would find convenient to go against the master. NVCO president, Kezhokhoto Savi, has questioned the government as to what is so special about the Chief Secretary’s Welfare Fund? It also questioned if all the employees are willing to simply contribute to towards the fund without specifying any genuine cause or reason. Stating that government employees are also ‘consumer’ and entitled to all consumer rights guarantee under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, NVCO has questioned the government’s unreasonable decision upon its employees. Meanwhile, NVCO has announced to observe two-week World Consumer Rights Day on March 15. Kohima Law College would also observe the World Consumer Rights Day on March 14 in which NVCO president, Kezhokhoto Savi, would be addressing the non-teaching faculty of Nagaland University, Kohima campus. The state level World Consumer Rights Day would be observed on March 15where Kezhokhoto Savi would be the main speaker in the state capital. Home dept. clarifies on CSSWF In view of certain rumours being floated on social media with regard to a circular issued by office of the commissioner calling for voluntary contributions to Chief Secretary’s Special Welfare Fund (CSSWF), Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), Home department, has clarified with regard to the operation of the fund. In a press release, the home commissioner, Abhishek Singh, informed that CSSWF was created in pursuance of the decision taken during the AHODs/HODs meeting on February 19, 2016. It stated that CSSWF is overseen and administered by an executive committee consisting of the chief secretary as chairman, home commissioner as member secretary, and finance commissioner as member. It added that CSSWF is utilised for extending relief and for providing assistance to individuals and organisations/ bodies within and outside the state for such causes as deemed fit by the executive committee. Besides, it stated that the day to day functioning and operation of the CSSWF is monitored by a steering committee consisting of the home commissioner as chairman, secretary of NSDMA & RR as member secretary, additional secretary SAB (Home), joint secretary of finance, and OSD of NSDMA (Home) as members. It stated that the welfare fund was set up through voluntary contributions by requesting all gazetted officers in the state government to contribute one day’s salary every year to the fund starting from the April 1, 2017. The contribution was purely on voluntary basis. It stated that any officer, who is not willing to make a contribution, could write to home commissioner through AHoD without giving any reason, it added. The statement also stated that CSSWF is audited at the end of every financial year by an internal audit committee which is set up by the executive committee. An annual report on the operation of the CSSWF is presented during the AHoDs & HoDs meetings for ratification as well as decision taken by executive committee from time to time, it added. The circular further stated that CSSWF was set up by government officers through a resolution and contributions to the same are voluntary. One of the purposes for which the welfare fund has been utilised was for procurement of CD4 machines for AIDS care.