Village Guards urge Nagaland Govt to increase meagre salaries

July 9, 2023 45 Views No Comment

VGs getting mere Rs 3000 as honorarium per month

Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 9

Citing lack of recourse and avenues to address their grievances, the Village Guard Association of Nagaland (VGAN) on Saturday came out publicly against the Nagaland State Government’s failure to meet their demands for increased salaries of the Village Guards (VGs) despite being entitled for enhancement.

Addressing a press conference held at the Tourist Lodge, Dimapur on July 8, the VGAN informed that at present there were a total of 9583 personnel recruited as Village Guards (VGs) in Nagaland.

Formed in the year 1957, the Nagaland VGs is among the oldest departments in the State, however till today they are receiving only Rs 3000 per month as salary/honorarium, the Association informed,

Led by its President Kurithi Jorror, General Secretary Thsatongpi Sangtam, Executive Secretary Lengwang Konyak and Executive Chairman Lasettsu Yimchunger, the association explained that the VGs of the State have been performing their duties of protecting and upholding the integrity of the country especially at the international border areas.

“But in this day and age, no armed riflemen can operate on a meagre salary of just Rs 3000,” Jorror stressed.

He mentioned that even the current honorarium had only been enhanced after they submitted a write petition in the Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench in 2017. It was earlier fixed at Rs 1500 per month.

In a long drawn out legal process, an expert committee was formed in 2021 by the State Government, headed by Additional Chief Secretary to further look into the matter of the enhancement of honorarium and other allowances of the VGs.

However, as the expert committee did not recommend enhancement of wages of the VGs in 2022, the association then filed a contempt petition at the High Court against the recommendation.

Another expert committee was reconstituted at the direction of the High Court on May 2023. However no positive outcome has come out till date, the association said.

Jorror further noted that the VGs have been an integral part of the law and order forces of the state. “In the international border area, it is a perilous task that we are performing as without our presence, the situation in Nagaland could be much worse,” he viewed.

They also stated how in the past personnel of the VGs had won several gallantry awards for bravery, act of valour and supreme sacrifices for the country. This included 1 Ashok Chakra (Class I), 8 Ashok Chakra (Class II), 5 Ashok Chakra (Class III) 2 Kirti Chakra, among others.

Even during the 2018 elections, the Prime Minister of India had agreed to enhance their salary up Rs 15,000, the VGAN maintained.

“We appeal to the state government to give a good recommendation to the high court during the next hearing,” they said.

HC directions not implemented
It must be noted here that on November 9, 2017, observing that the VG’s salary is too meagre to meet the basic minimum needs of a person even in the remotest village of Nagaland, a HC Kohima Bench in a judgment order dated 19.11.2017 directed the State Government to “examine and raise the same to a reasonable level but no less than that of the Home Guards of the State.” The Home Guards’ salary then was Rs 520 per day.

While a two-month period was given to complete the exercise, the State Government filed an appeal against the judgment. Thereafter, a Division Bench of the Court on 07.02.2019 directed the State Government to constitute an expert committee to examine and determine the issue in consultation with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (Northeast Division).

A time-frame of four months was given to complete the exercise.

While an 8-member committee was constituted to examine the issue, with no positive outcome, the VGAN filed the contempt petition in February 2022.

As per the court document, the next hearing contempt petition has been fixed on August 4, 2023 after the Additional Advocate General Nagaland sought three weeks time to file the compliance affidavit on behalf of alleged contemnor on July 5.