Allowance Freeze Prompts Press Council Staff to Lock Offices, Stage Sit-in Protest (Photos)

Kathmandu: Employees of the Press Council have shut down the office and staged a sit-in protest after the government stopped paying the mandatory monthly dearness allowance for the past six months, starting in the Nepali month of Magh.

According to Press Council spokesperson Deepak Khanal, employees were forced to launch the protest because they have not received the allowance even as the current fiscal year is nearing its end. He said that despite repeatedly informing the concerned ministry—both verbally and in writing—their concerns have gone unaddressed.

“Even after informing the ministry, there has been no response. We are only told that it will be resolved, but no one explains why the allowance has been withheld,” Khanal said.

Khanal said employees have been protesting for the past three days, with the office remaining closed for the last two days as part of the sit-in.

“Since our demands have not been heard, we have been left with no option but to stage a sit-in protest,” he added.

The government currently provides a monthly dearness allowance of Rs 5,000 to civil servants. While employees in other government offices have been receiving the allowance regularly, Press Council staff say their payments have been suspended for the past six months.

Employees also allege delays in receiving revised salaries. Khanal said that when salaries were increased previously, staff should have received the revised pay from Shrawan, but the increase was only implemented from Bhadra.

He expressed concern that the recently announced 21 percent salary increase may also not be implemented on time.

“It is not just the dearness allowance that has been withheld. There has also been discrimination in salary payments. Previously, the revised salary should have been effective from Shrawan, but we only received it from Bhadra. We fear the latest salary increase may also be delayed,” Khanal said. “This sit-in is also intended to pressure the authorities to ensure timely implementation.”