THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Ranchi, June 1: The salary crisis at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Jharkhand’s largest government hospital, intensified on Monday as around 1,500 permanent employees, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, staged a sit-in protest outside the Director’s office for the third time.
The protesting employees alleged that they have not received their salaries for the past three months. First-year postgraduate (PG) junior doctors, meanwhile, claimed that their salaries have been pending for nearly six months.
“My Own Salary Is Also Held Up”: RIMS Director
Addressing the agitating employees, RIMS Director Dr. Rajkumar acknowledged the salary crisis and said he had no intention of withholding payments.
“I gain nothing by stopping employees’ salaries. The reality is that even my own salary has been held up,” he told the protesters while attempting to calm the situation.
Dr. Rajkumar also admitted that for nearly two months, he was unaware that salary payments were not being processed.
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Why Are Salaries Delayed?
According to the Director, two major issues are responsible for the prolonged delay in salary disbursement.
The first relates to changes introduced by the Finance Department following a major financial scam in the Police Department. Under the revised regulations, the salaries of RIMS employees can no longer be processed through the Treasury’s existing computer software system.
The second issue involves the earlier practice of disbursing salaries through a temporary ID system, which had been in use since 2013. Under this arrangement, RIMS withdrew the allocated funds from the Treasury and independently managed deductions under the National Pension System (NPS).
With the introduction of a new payment mechanism, technical complications have surfaced, as no dedicated software provisions have yet been developed by the Jharkhand government to meet RIMS’ specific requirements, officials said.
Management Assures Early Resolution
Dr. Rajkumar informed employees that discussions had already been held with Finance Department officials and efforts were underway to resolve the issue.
Appealing for patience, he said that government salaries are never forfeited and that all pending dues would eventually be paid.
At the same time, the Director expressed concern that the ongoing protests had disrupted administrative work required to prepare and process salary bills.
Employees Warn of Intensified Agitation
RIMS management has assured staff that a solution is likely to be found within the next two to four days.
However, protesting employees warned that if the pending salaries are not credited soon, they will intensify their agitation in the coming days.
The prolonged salary crisis has raised concerns over employee morale and the functioning of one of Jharkhand’s most important healthcare institutions.