GANGTOK, 18 July: The Sikkim Khadi and Village Industries Board employees have not got their salaries for the last two months i.e May and June. The employees have approached all the higher authorities but the release of their pending salary is still awaited.
The Board’s employees have already approached the management of the Board and the authorities have also reportedly approached the Department of Commerce and Industries, the nodal department of SK&VI Board, Minister concerned and Finance and Revenue Department but the matter remains unaddressed.
The aggrieved employees of the Board expressed that non-payment of salaries for two months is causing a lot of financial problems for them. The Finance and Revenue Expenditure Department had assured the SK&VI Board that salaries will be released in the first week of July, however this has not happened as yet, they inform.
The department of Commerce and Industries has reportedly submitted a cabinet memo, but the Cabinet is yet to sit and pass a decision in the matter, official sources informed. The Third and Fourth grade employees, in particular, are obviously facing a host of difficulties.
The SK&VI Board, which has more than 70 employees [including the Chief Executive Officer who is under deputation from the State government], is under extreme pressure for early payment of salary.
As per the Sikkim Khadi & Village Industries Board Act 1996, the office expenses and salaries of the employees of Board is to be borne by the State Government.
