KATHMANDU, Nov 24: The permanent staffers of Sajha Prakashan have knocked the doors of the Ministry of Education (MoE), seeking help to release their salaries for the last seven months. 

The permanent staffers of Sajha Prakashan recently submitted an application to the MoE, asking it to play a 'significant role' in providing salaries to them like the temporary staffers, according to the employees union of the 105-year old public publishing house.

“While the permanent staffers are yet to receive their salaries for the last seven months, the temporary staffers haven't been paid their salaries only for the last two months,” said Hom Nath Bhattarai, the senior-most permanent staff of Sajha Prakashan. “This is a discrimination against the permanent staffers,” said Bhattarai. “We wonder why the Sajha administration has given priority to paying salaries to the staffers hired on contract and appointing the persons closer to the political leaders and influential personalities,” he added.

The permanent staffers have also raised serious concern over the staffers who were forced to take voluntary retirement. “The retired staffers closer to the administration have already received 90 percent of their salaries when others have been paid only 20 percent of their dues,” said Bhattarai. 

Copies of the application submitted to the MoE have been sent to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Labor Office, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), National Information Commission, National Vigilance Center, Lalitpur District Administration Office, and Sajha Management Board as well.

Dolindra Prasad Sharma, chief and general manager of Sajha Prakashan, who was sacked by the MoE on the charge of irregularities in September, resumed office from November 8 after the Supreme Court stayed the ministry's decision on October 31. 

A total of 130 permanent staffers were given a golden handshake about a year ago by bringing a directive to reduce the staffers of the publication for minimizing its financial burden. However, Sharma appointed over seven dozen temporary staffers on contract against the spirit of the directive by giving voluntary retirement to 130 permanent staffers.

 
• sajha
 
• staffers
 
• knock
 
• moe
 
• doors
 
• salary