NCUI President Dr Chandra Pal Singh has said that the issues of staffs connected with NCUI’s Field Projects should be addressed by the government sooner than later. He parried off questions on the role of NCUI in the matter.
Talking to Indian Cooperative Dr Yadav said that they are associated with us for a very long time and our sympathies are with them but we are not in a position to do anything for them.
NCUI Field Project staffs are a miserable lot as they present a unique case in which the appointment was reversed. Earlier they joined as regular govt staff with proper scale and perks but later in 2007 their terms of condition was changed arbitrarily by the government which began to give them consolidated salaries.
There are 3-4 categories of staffs such as Field Project officer, lady mobilizer, instructor etc with the highest officials drawing not more than a consolidated salary of Rs 15,000 per month. They are also the face of NCUI as Field Projects are started in the state where cooperative movement is relatively weak.
Among the 45 projects currently in operation a total of nearly 150 staffs are employed in far and flung areas. Some of them such as one in Gangtok, another in have done fantastic jobs, admitted the Chief Executive of the NCUI Dr Dinesh himself.
Indian Cooperative has learnt that there is reluctance in the Governing Council also to improve their lot as many members believe that their appointment was done in the past without following the proper procedure.
Jyotindra Mehta who joined as Government Nominee on NCUI Board also refused to help as of now. Talking to Indian Cooperative Mehta said “I have yet to study their case but there is a murmur on their opaque recruitment in the past in the Ministry’s corridor too”.
It is saddening to note that neither the Govt. nor the NCUI is able to solve the problems faced by the employees of the field projects. It is suggested that these projects may be transferred to the State coop unions and use them in their cooperative education projects; their service conditions may be restored as prevailed prior to 2004 and their establishment charges met jointly by NCUI and GOI.
These projects had started by 2000 itself and it is not fair to question the mode of appointment of these employees after 15 years.
Sir, If you want to solve the problem , solve it. You are the powerful president of NCUI.