Contract employees shut RIMS' A-block
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 30 2015: Contract employees of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal today locked the main entrance gate of Administrative Block and OPD block of the institute demanding service regularisation and pay increment.

A large number of RIMS contract employees locked the entrance gate of the Administrative Block at around 12.30 noon as the RIMS authority allegedly paid no attention to their long pending demands.

The contract employees launched the agitation alleging that the Director, Professor S Rita Devi refused to meet them when they approached the office for a meeting regarding their demands today.

Speaking to media persons, one of the contract employees who was present at the agitation site said that from time to time they have appealed the authority concerned to look into their demands since the past many years.

Contract employees shut RIMS' A-block

Some of them have been working as contract employees in the institute for about 15 years and some of them are going to retire in due course of time, he said.

He also said that during their last meeting with the authority concerned, the officials assured to look into their demands positively.

On October 8, Director RIMS, came out with a notice saying that the demands of the contract employees would be put up at the Executive Council meeting that was held on October 20.The Director further assured that even if the EC does not approve the proposals, the RIMS authority will take up possible measures to solve the problems of the contract employees.

Despite all the assurances, the authority concerned did little to fulfil the demands till date, the employee decried.

Peeved at the alleged negligence, a large number of contract employees of RIMS went to meet the Director at the Administrative Block today.

On seeing them approaching the office, the Director escaped through the back door to avoid them.

Angered by the alleged attitude of the Director, the contract employees closed down the main entrance gate and staged a sit in protest there.

Soon after, a team of Lamphel police led by SDPO RK Saklemba rushed to the spot as a pre-emptive step.

The police asked the protesters to select delegates from among them for a talk with the RIMS official which was turned down by protesters saying previous talks are yet to yield positive outcome.

After staging a sit in protest at Administrative Block the contract employees later went on to close down the OPD block of RIMS and locked down the main entrance gate of RIMS.

Soon after Medical Superintendent, Professor C Amuba came out from his office chamber and tried to calm down the protesters.

However, the protesters paid no heed to the request for talks.

Responding to a query from media persons, Prof C Amuba said that the demand for increment of salary and regularisation is due to the low salary of the contract employees and the matter has been put up before the Ministry concerned and at the Executive Council meeting.

He said that the RIMS authority has been taking up all possible measures to fulfil the demands of the contract employees.

There are about 300 contract employees at RIMS, Imphal.