Rythu Sadhikara Samstha field staff refuse to work without pay; mission objective under threat, say officials

Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) field staff face salary crisis, impacting mission objectives, seeking loans for relief.

The fate of about 9,000 field staff working in the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) hangs in balance as the State government hasn’t paid their salaries for the last 15 months. The staff, working in various capacities, have dashed off letters to the RySS authorities stating that they would not work unless their salaries were paid.

As the ultimatum has come at a time when the kharif operations have gained momentum, the RySS officials are worried that the mission objective will be severely affected, if necessary action is not taken immediately. The authorities are exploring other options apart from apprising the government of the situation.

At present, the RySS works are going on at a slow pace, sources said.

“The State government (previous) did not release the funds to pay salaries. It diverted about ₹160 crore which affected the payment of salaries,” said an official, on the condition of anonymity. 

The RySS mission and work received accolades in India and abroad. The natural farming mission would be hampered if the field staff were unwilling to join their duties, he added.

The RySS sources said that the Samstha has approached a few banks for a loan and that the State Bank of India (SBI) has responded positively and about ₹50 crore loan is expected. The SBI has opened accounts in the name of the field staff and the loan would be sanctioned as a cadre loan which would be disbursed by month-end bringing some relief to the field staff.

‘’As per the rules, the RySS cannot go for a loan. So, the cadre loan route was chosen. The RySS will pay the interest on the loan without any burden on the staff,’‘ sources said.