DMC employees says No Pay, No Work

September 13, 2022 47 Views No Comment

Serves 10-day ultimatum to state government

Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 13

Employees of the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) briefly went into agitation mode, on September 12, over withheld salary. Under the banner of the DMC Employees Welfare Union, the employees briefly staged a protest at their office premises, Monday, demanding the release of salaries for the months of July and August.

The Union also wrote a ‘Memorandum’ to the government warning of ceasing work if the salaries are not released within 10 days, beginning September 12. The letter, addressed to the DMC Administrator, highlighted the situation under which the DMC has been functioning since 2010. Without elected representatives, as required by law of a civic body, it said that the DMC has failed to meet a crucial criterion to be eligible for funding from the Central government.

As a result, the burden of running the civic body has entirely been shouldered by revenue accumulated from tolls and services. It aggravated when the state government affected a directive banning toll collection at check-posts by government agencies in May, this year.

The letter said, “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 this memorandum for redressal of our grievances, otherwise the DMC Employees Welfare Union shall be compelled to go for no work till our grievances in respect of payment of salaries are redressed.”

DMC Employees Welfare Union President, Revo T Anar told media persons that the DMC has been placed in a difficult situation following the government bar on collection of tolls.

Stripped of its main revenue source, Anar said that the DMC has not been able pay its employees for two months straight. “The employees are protesting that they will not work. Infact, we have written to the government in May requesting the government to consider the DMC’s case,” he said. The government, however, has yet to respond.

According to him, Urban Utility Fee or tolls account for 60 percent of the DMC revenue and the revenue from other sources like trade licence fee, house rent and sanitation fee barely meets the Municipal body’s expenses.

With 429 employees under its payroll, salaries alone account for over 90 lakhs a month, out of a monthly expenditure tipped to be around Rs 1.2cr. The DMC’s actual employee intake or sanctioned strength is said to be 260.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/dmc-employees-says-no-pay-no-work