Months after govt slashed grant, organisation under rural ministry flags unpaid medical claims, delayed salaries

Facing non-payment of medical claims and salary delays following the Centre’s move to slash its grant, the employees’ body of the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) has urged Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to intervene.

The NIRDPR is the apex institute for training and research in rural development and functions as a think tank for the Rural Development Ministry.

Representatives of the NIRDPR employees’ body and academic association met Chouhan during his visit to on Monday.

Some leaders including V Sreedhar Reddy, General Secretary of Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district, accompanied the representatives. Reddy told that they submitted a letter to the minister that highlights the issues faced by the employees after the grant-in-aid to the NIRDPR from the financial year 2025-26 was stopped.

The letter mentions four issues: non-payment and delay in payment of salaries to the employees and Self Help Group (SHG) workers; “forcing” employees to give an undertaking that they are taking salaries as loan which will have to be repaid; non-payment of medical claims, children education allowance, LTC claims, among others; and “non-transparent” and “unaccountable” functioning of the Director General and no dialogue by the DG with employees regarding service conditions post “disengagement”. Disengagement means the discontinuation of grant-in aid.

The Centre has slashed the NIRDPR budgetary allocation 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 letter, the NIRDPR Academic Association has urged the minister to take action. The letter has also urged the minister to nominate 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.

Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express’ National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled “STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING,” which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society.

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