Tuensang, December 12 (MExN): The Village Guards (VGs) in Nagaland have not been paid their salaries for the past five months and periodic representations to the State Chief Secretary as well as of meetings with other officials have not yielded any positive results so far.
Accordingly, the Village Guards Association of Nagalandon December 12 has ‘once again made an earnest appeal’ to the State Government to release their wages before December 16.
The Association informed that it submitted the first-two representations regarding the issue to the concerned authorities on October 1&18, when the wages were then were pending for 3 months.
However, with no positive response, the Association again submitted another representation on November 24, appealing and reminding the State Government to release the wages before December 5.
We were assured that wages would be released soon, however, till date the wages have not been released, stated the November 24 representation.
“We depend solely on our meagre wages, besides many other difficulties, many amongst us are undergoing treatment for serious ailments, it is Christmas season, but many families are on the verge of starvation,” it then added.
In another reminder and appeal on November 28, the Association urged the concerned authorities to pay the wages to all VGs personnel without fail, irrespective of whether they have PIMS number or not. However, it was learnt that even those personnelwith the Personal Information Management System (PIMS) number are also yet to receive their wages.
Meanwhile, the Association President Kurithi Jorror informed it had plan to resort to appropriate steps including ‘peaceful dharna, protest etc., as deemed fit and legitimate’ if the wages were not released by December 5, but kept such actions in abeyance in view of the Hornbill Festival and expecting a positive response from the State Government.
Despite a very short notice, we also dutifully participated Statehood celebration as directed expecting a positive outcome, he maintained.
Without our wages, we are staring at a very bleak festive season, he added.
