Srinagar, Feb 7: Employees working under the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihood Mission are facing acute financial hardship due to prolonged delays in the disbursement of their salaries, sources said on Friday.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the salaries of District Programme Managers and Block Programme Managers have remained unpaid for the past three months. Field-level functionaries, including Cluster Coordinators, Community Development Extension Officers, Pashu Sakhis and farm and non-farm cadre staff, are reportedly awaiting salaries for nearly six months.
Several employees said the persistent delay has severely affected their daily lives despite their continued fieldwork. They said they are struggling to meet basic household expenses, pay school fees of their children and manage commuting costs required for official duties.
Staff members expressed concern that the very purpose of the Rural Livelihood Mission, which aims to uplift the social and economic condition of poor rural women, stands undermined when those implementing the programme are left without timely wages. They said morale in the field has been badly affected despite regular work and performance of assigned responsibilities.
Employees also claimed that funds for salary disbursement are available and that repeated representations have been made to the concerned authorities, but without any clear response or resolution. They said the absence of communication on the reasons for delay has added to their frustration.
Warning of possible protests, the employees have appealed to the higher-level administration and the government to intervene and ensure immediate release of their long-pending salaries, calling it a legitimate and urgent demand. [KNT]
