New Indian Express reports employees of Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) bank have threatened to commit self-immolation if their demand for release of their salaries is not met.
As many as 76 employees of CARD bank have not been paid any remuneration for the last six years.
“Odisha State Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development (OSCARD) bank has sufficient funds which it had received in form of a grant for loan waiver. The funds can be utilised to pay our salaries,” secretary of the union GB Panda said.
The employees also demand vertical merger of the CARD bank with its apex body, the OSCARD bank, and a subsequent merger with Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB).
Though the Odisha govt had asked the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) to assess the feasibility of a vertical merger of CARD bank with OSCARD bank, nothing has been done so far.
The employees union sources say since their demands are not being met , they have no choice but to take the extreme step.