Nilanjan
If you are a government employee in Manipur, you might want to think twice before skipping your office. The state government has decided to implement a ‘no work, no pay’ rule for those employees who are absent from their official duty without authorized leave. This is a drastic action taken by the government to ensure the smooth functioning of the administration amid the ongoing ethnic violence in the state.
According to a circular issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) secretary Michael Achom on Monday night, “In pursuance of the decision taken in the meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister on 12th June and as per para 5-(12) of the proceedings, all employees drawing salary from General Administration Department, Manipur Secretariat are hereby informed that ‘no work no pay’ rule may be applied to all those employees who are not attending their official duty without authorized leave.”
No salary for employees who do not come to office, Manipur government will implement these rules…
The Manipur government has about one lakh employees. The circular has asked all administrative secretaries to furnish the details of those employees who are not attending office due to the prevailing situation in the state.
More than 100 killed so far The circular has also directed the General Administration Department and Personnel Department to submit the details of all such employees by 28th June, including their name, EIN (employee identification number), present address and other particulars, so that appropriate action can be taken against them. Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence between the majority Meitei and the minority Kuki community since early May, which has claimed more than 100 lives so far .
The violence erupted after a dispute over land ownership between the two communities in Churachandpur district. The Kukis allege that the Meiteis have encroached on their ancestral lands and have been trying to evict them. The Meiteis deny these charges and accuse the Kukis of being outsiders who have settled in their territory illegally. The clashes have spread to other districts as well, leading to arson, looting and killings.
The state government has imposed curfew and deployed security forces to restore law and order. However, the situation remains tense and volatile, with sporadic incidents of violence reported from different parts of the state. Many government offices, schools and colleges have remained closed due to the unrest.
The ‘no work, no pay’ rule is seen as a measure to compel the government employees to resume their duties and ensure that the public services are not affected by the violence. However, some employees have expressed their fear and reluctance to attend office due to security reasons. They have also demanded that the government should provide them with adequate protection and transportation facilities.
What do you think of this decision by the Manipur government? Do you support or oppose it? Share your views in the comments section below.
