Amid non-payment of medical claims and delayed salaries following the Centre’s decision to reduce its grant, the employees’ associations of NIRDPR has appealed to Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for urgent intervention.
The NIRDPR as the premier institute for training and research in rural development also serves as a key think tank for the ministry of the Rural Development.
Representatives of the NIRDPR employees union and academic association met Chouhan during his visit to Hyderabad on Monday.
Some BJP leaders including V Sreedhar Reddy, General Secretary of Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district unit, accompanied the representatives. Reddy told The Indian Express that they submitted a memorandum to the minister outlining the challenges faced by the employees following the discontinuation of grant-in-aid to the NIRDPR from the financial year 2025-26.
The letter highlights four major concern: non-payment and delayed disbursal of salaries to the employees and Self Help Group (SHG) workers; the compulsion of employees to sign an undertaking stating that their salaries are being received as loans which must be repaid the pending reimbursement of medical claims,children education allowances LTC claims, among others; and the allegedly opaque ” and “unaccountable” functioning of the Director General who has not engaged in any dialogue with employees regarding service conditions post “disengagement”. Disengagement means the discontinuation of grant in aid.
The Centre has drastically reduced the budgetary allocation for NIRDPR to just Rs 1 lakh for financial year 2025-26 from Rs 73.68 crore in revised estimates of the 2024-25 financial year and Rs 75.69 crore in 2023-24.
In its representation, the NIRDPR Academic Association has appealed to the minister to intervene and address the ongoing issue. It has also requested the appointment of two Ministry of Rural Development officers as Deputy Director General in-charge and Registrar in-charge at the NIRDPR.
NIRDPR focuses on training, capacity building, research and policy advocacy, and runs academic programs in regular and distance modes. The courses include Diploma in Rural Development Management and Tribal Development Management.
