Monthly salary eludes higher grade RMS employees
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 29 2018:
Except for Grade III and Grade IV employees, RIMS employees belonging to higher grades have not been given their monthly salaries.
Even though RIMS is a reputed medical institute in the entire North East region which is run under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the institute has been declining day by day and it is unable to pay even employees' salaries for the month of November even though December is almost over, sources said.
Being festive season, salary for the month of November was usually paid in the beginning of December while December's salary was released before Christmas.
But the institute is now unable to pay salary for the month of November even though December will be over in two days.
On account of the failure to pay monthly salaries of higher grade employees in time, a large number of employees have serious grievances against the RIMS authority.
During a meeting held on December 15 where many faculty members were present, the RIMS authority maintained they were not at fault and it was because of lapses on the party of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that employees' salary for the month of November could not be paid in time.
They (RIMS authority) claimed that due proposal for salary was sent in time, conveyed the sources.
Some days after the December 15 meeting, November's salaries for Grade III and Grade IV employees were released.
Since the BJP-led NDA Government was set up at the Centre, RIMS and many other medical institutes have been given their annual financial requirements to the minimal level, the sources alleged.
The Central Government may sanction funds required for development of physical infrastructure and purchase of equipment at minimal level but the employees' monthly salary cannot be withheld.
As such, the RIMS authority cannot claim to be inculpable regarding non-release of employees' salary for the month of November, said the sources.
RIMS officers dealing with financial matters prepare annual budget estimates and this is something tentative.
There is no guarantee that the exact amount proposed in the budget estimate would be approved by the Ministry.
In case the budget estimate falls short of the exact requirement, RIMS authority can submit a revised estimate.
If the Ministry has reduced fund allotment to the minimal level, RIMS authority should stop paying extra attention to development of physical infrastructure and purchase of equipment, said the sources.
Salaries of Grade III and Grade IV employees for the month of November were paid out of Rs 8 crore sanctioned by the Ministry for the third quarter but around Rs 22 crore is required for payment of monthly salaries to all the employees of RIMS.
Sanctioning just Rs 8 crore for the third quarter while around Rs 22 crore is required for payment of monthly salaries implies that there were some major lapses somewhere, the sources asserted.
They further questioned whether the lapses resulted from failure to submit utilisation certificates for funds sanctioned earlier or projects being implemented at RIMS or whether funds have been diverted for payment of liabilities to contractors.
Maintaining that answers to these questions would be known to only RIMS officers dealing with financial matters, the sources asserted that RIMS authority should be held accountable even if the lapses were on the part of those officers dealing with financial matters.
RIMS authority need to find out and plug in the lapses before the aggrieved employees launch any form of agitation, the sources added.