Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 16 2009:
Following mass leave taken by non-teaching staff of RIMS in protest against non-payment of salaries for two months, Casualty, OPD and Operation Theatres of the State's premier medical institute were totally deserted today.
On the other hand, RIMS authority clarified that the two months' salaries could not be paid as the Health Ministry did not release fund in time due to closure of financial year and the Lok Sabha elections.
Saying that the salaries may be drawn now, the RIMS authority, nevertheless, maintained that due actions would be taken up against the non-teaching staff for their illegal activity which also smacked of lack of patience.
Talking about their agitation, general secretary of the RIMS Non-Teaching Staff Welfare Association Dijendra Koijam said that they appealed to the RIMS authority to pay their overdue salaries.
To this, the RIMS authority reportedly assured that they would make all efforts to pay the salaries by April 15 .
But there was no sign of salary payment and this compelled the non-teaching staff to launch the agitation, said Dijendra adding that they would wait till Monday.
More intense agitation will follow after Monday, he said.
Meanwhile, RIMS Director Prof L Fimate said that required amount for payment of salaries to staff has been deposited at bank through electronic transaction made yesterday and today.
The delay was because of the closure of financial year and the Lok Sabha election.
On its part, the RIMS authority sent due proposal in time, claimed Prof Fimate while noting that Nirman Bhavan which housed the office of Health Ministry was also as polling station.
"What the non-teaching staff did was quite wrong.
What they did was harassment of public", Prof Fimate said.
A casual leave application singed by the president of the RIMS Non-Teaching Staff Welfare Association was brought this morning but the RIMS authority turned it down.
The application should be submitted by each staff individually, he added.