Dimapur municipal employees continue protests over unpaid salaries, leaving garbage uncollected and civic services disrupted across the city.
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DIMAPUR — The standoff between Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) and its employees escalated on Tuesday as the Dimapur Municipal Council Employees Welfare Union (DMCEWU) resolved to continue its protest, despite assurances from the council leadership regarding their pending demands.
The DMCEWU had earlier submitted a resolution to the DMC CEO on July 24, outlining three key demands: immediate clearance of three months’ pending salaries, timely disbursal of employee benefits such as EPF and gratuity, and proper deployment of staff in official duties.
The resolution warned that if their demands were not fulfilled by August 4, employees would resort to a “No Pay, No Work” protest.
With the deadline passing without concrete action, DMC employees staged a peaceful rally on Tuesday at the old DMC office premises in Kalibari Road.
Simultaneously, a meeting was held at the new DMC office in Forest Colony, where DMC chairperson, CEO Thungchanbemo Tungoe, and councillors deliberated on the issue.
During the meeting, Tungoe acknowledged the legitimacy of the staff's demands and stated that the council had resolved to meet them. He informed that three out of the four months' pending salaries would be cleared by or before August 20.
Furthermore, the restructuring of staff deployment and work duties is scheduled to be completed by the end of September.
By October 2025, he assured, all employee benefits—EPF, GSLI, and gratuity—would be disbursed regularly and on time. A core committee comprising the chairperson, CEO, and 12 councillors has been formed to address revenue irregularities and develop long-term solutions to the ongoing salary crisis.
Tungoe also said that a formal written commitment would be handed over to the protesting employees.
However, the employees remained unconvinced. The DMCEWU announced that the protest would continue until the pending salaries are fully credited to their accounts.
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According to union representatives, verbal assurances were not enough, and until actual disbursement takes place, they will refrain from resuming work.
Addressing the issue of overstaffing amid financial constraints, Tungoe revealed that the DMC currently employs 436 staff. He admitted that salary issues are not new and stressed that the newly formed committee will work to find a lasting resolution.
The CEO also clarified that DMC is a self-sustaining body without any sanctioned posts or formal service rules. Since 2021–2022, the council has suffered significant revenue loss due to a government directive halting tax collection at municipal entry gates.
Although the state government has extended financial aid on a few occasions, the total salary backlog now stands at approximately INR 2 crore.