NABARD officers call strike against anomalies in revision of wages

GUWAHATI: The All India NABARD Officers' Association (AINBOA) has called for a full-day strike on December 16 in protest against the anomalies in the wage revision created by an order issued by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

They will be joined by the retired staff in support for the cause since the wage revision holds implications for the future - for the service as well as retired staff and also for the organization as a whole.

AINBOA general secretary Amlan Dash said in a press statement, "The officers of NABARD had been on agitation ever since the DFS order was issued on September 14 followed by the Administrative Circular on September 21 to implement the order. After many representations, and rounds of dialogues with the officials of DFS over the two months, they are left with no other choice but to go on strike which will be followed by a march to Parliament and hunger strike."

He further said, "First, the order introduced dual and differentiated pay for the same cadre of officers - higher for those who had come from Reserve Bank of India at the formation of NABARD in 1982 and lower for those directly recruited by NABARD. One of the allowances reduced is Grade Allowance which is paid as per the grade of an officer. However, according to the DFS order, officers in lower grades are drawing higher grade allowance than officers in higher grade, thereby making a mockery of the nomenclature 'grade'. This is in contravention to 'equal pay for equal work' in the same organization.

"The reduction of allowances for officers recruited by NABARD in the eighth settlement (2017-2022 period) is so drastic that it has reduced their gross emoluments by 10% to 12% compared to those who had come from RBI with huge impact on superannuation benefits, including pension.

"The order has also reduced another allowance in contravention to what wasapproved by the Board of Directors and has equated it with that of the officers of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), entities supervised by NABARD under Banking Regulations Act, 1949. The financial loss and the humiliation have infuriated the officers' community of NABARD leading to this present agitation and strike call."

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