NABARD officers protest delay in implementation of wage settlement

The All India NABARD Officers’ Association, Himachal Pradesh, staged a protest at NABARD’s Regional Office in Shimla on Wednesday, demanding immediate implementation of the wage settlement.

Tushar Jain, Secretary of the association’s Shimla unit, said that they condemned the delay in the implementation of the wage settlement signed on June 13. “NABARD officers across the country, including Himachal Pradesh, are deeply frustrated and demotivated by this prolonged delay, which has led to a significant loss of real wages amid rising inflation,” he added.

He said that such delays by the NABARD management and the Department of Financial Services, Union Ministry of Finance, were unjustified. “The file sent in August is still pending, undermining the autonomy of this premier development finance institution,” Jain added. He urged the government to immediately clear and implement the settlement to restore morale among officers engaged in rural development.

Himanshu Baliyan, Joint Secretary of the association Shimla, said that the state unit fully supported the central association’s demands, including pension update for all recruits, enhanced family pension and the operationalisation of compassionate appointments pending since 2012. “The recent protests at multiple NABARD offices indicate that patience is wearing out. We warn the management of escalated actions, including strikes and dharnas before Parliament, if our demands are not met,” he added.

He said that the association urged the NABARD management and the Department of Financial Services to act swiftly to prevent further organisational unrest. Officers, he added, remain committed to NABARD’s mandate but “will not tolerate injustice”.