Dimapur, Dec. 15 (EMN): The employees of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Kohima have decided to continue its ongoing strike till their pending salaries paid in full and have threatened to take legal action if not done before Dec. 22.
This was resolved at an emergency meeting held in Kohima on Tuesday in view of the appeal made by the commissioner and secretary to of state government, Rural Development and the Director, Rural Development Blocks, Nagaland, to call off the ongoing agitation.
A press release issued by the employees of DRDA stated that the authority will be held liable for attorney’s fee and court cost-related expenses if the matter takes legal course as well as pay all the interest accrued as required legally.
It was also resolved at the meeting that no employees shall take the situation to get upper hand for personal gain that might obstruct the process by diverting it from its intended course”.
The update went on to inform that the officers and staff of DRDA, Kohima, deliberated on the benefit of two month’s salary that has been credited out of the pending 10 months. Many expressed their wish for payment of salary in cash, saying that money would be deducted for recovery of interest accrued from the loan taken if deposited in their bank accounts, it was informed.
They also expressed the “fear of taking the liquid cash home only to be rummaged by the money lenders before reaching their door step”.
“Further, the aggrieved employees are of the view that the appeal only stated the insufficient fund received from the Central Govt. and did not find any reason to resume office, as the authority did not guarantee any date in clearing the pending salaries,” it stated.