Silchar Municipal Employees’ Union takes out rally, submits memorandum

FROM OUR Correspondent

Silchar, July 27: Silchar Municipal Employees’ Union, affiliated to All Assam Civic Bodies Workers’ Federation, has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Fince Minister and Urban Development Department of Assam regarding their problems related to services of the Municipal employees of the state of Assam, through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, on Wednesday. They took out a peaceful rally which converged in front of  the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar. They have demanded that their due salaries for last 18 months be cleared immediately. They have mentioned in the memorandum that the Municipal employees of the state are engaged in rendering day–to–day civic services to the rate payers.

 It has been pointed out in the memorandum that the employees of Municipal board have been an integral part of various programmes implemented by the government from time–to–time. It is needless to mention that Municipal workers are performing important roles. In this regard, they have also demanded that payment of salary at the end of the month should be ensured under the Devolution Fund of the State Fince Corporation. Provincialization of the services of the employees of Municipal Board and Town Committees of the State has been their long felt demand. Following the recommendation of Group of Ministers, government decided to provincialize their services at a meeting held on September 4, 2013.

 A decision was also taken to pay their salaries from the Devolution Fund under the State Fince Corporation. But these decisions were not implemented owing to deliberate complications created by the Fince Department. The employees have learnt that without framing ‘Common Municipal Service Cadre’, a process has been started to appoint three numbers of officers under the state government in each Municipal and Town Committee permanently. There are reasons to believe that this process is nothing but a calculated conspiracy to nullify the cabinet decision of provincilaization of the services of the Municipal Employees.

 All Assam Civic Bodies Workers’ Federation has demanded that such nefarious conspiracy against the Municipal employees of the state should be stopped immediately and notification as well as provincializing the services of the Municipal employees of the state be issued immediately, as decided in the Cabinet meeting. The long felt demand for a ‘staffing pattern’ has not been fulfilled yet. The Federation has been demanding for it since long. It was also accepted and approved in the Cabinet meeting. It has been stated in the memorandum that the notification regarding the staffing pattern has not been issued due to nepotism.

 It should be mentioned here that the Federation’s meeting with MGVK Vanu, Additiol Chief Secretary on February 20, 2017, was a fruitful one. It was assured in writing that within April 1, 2017; the staffing pattern notification would be notified. But the commitment of the government is yet to be implemented. The Safai Karmacharis/Harijans has been working for years together. But they are passing their days in misery. The MR/Fixed Pay/Contractual workers are also sharing the same fate. The Federation has been demanding since long to regularize their services.

 All Assam Civic Bodies Workers’ Federation has also demanded that all retired Municipal employees of the state should be brought under a single pension scheme and immediate necessary instructions should be given to all the Municipal Boards and Town Committees to pay the retirement benefits of the employees including arrear salary in the revised rate as per ROP, 2010. The Federation has time and again approached the government as well resorted to trade union movements on various occasions.