Nagaland: Mass casual leave partially paralyses DRDA offices

Signage at the DRDA office in Kohima informing that office employees are on a mass casual leave till September 6. (Morung Photo)
 

Morung Express News 
Kohima | September 2 

District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) offices across the state wore deserted looks as employees went on a mass casual leave today over non-release of monthly salary for several months. While the phase-wise agitation began with offices functioning smoothly, the mass casual leave has partially paralysed the whole machinery under DRDA. 

“All 70 blocks under DRDA are directly affected as without any officer or staff attending offices, no transactions can be made. The BDOs will not be able to make any correspondence in our absence,” a Project Director said. 

“We lament the casualties that the public will face in the following days, but assurances alone cannot appease us,” another official expressed. Even if the Management Information System (MIS) is running, technical functioning without physical operation is a partial paralysis. 

In case of inactions after the mass casual leave, the offices will be locked down, and the Management Information System (MIS) will also be shutdown, the officer informed. The mass casual leave is likely to continue till September 6. Casual leave will start from September 7 onwards. 

The DRDA employees had also expressed in their representation that if the department fails to provide their rights and entitlements, it will be “compelled to take necessary steps as deemed fit and will seek for legal recourse as gauranteed by the industrial Disputes Act, 1947.”

The employees also informed that till now, no headway has been made after a deliberation meeting was held with the Rural Development Minister, Mestubo Jamir; the Principal Secretary, RD and all the Project Directors on August 22. During the meeting it was informed that the process for release of salary put up by the department has also been put up to the finance department. 

However, with regard to the latest process, the Minister, Principal Secretary RD or the Director of RD could not be contacted.