The government on Thursday asked the protesting technical staff of the National Reconstruction Authority to return to work in the respective districts within two days or file formal resignation letters at the concerned office if they really wanted to quit.

This comes two days after more than 1,200 staffers including engineers, overseers and sub-overseers mobilised to aid reconstruction works in 11 earthquake-affected districts handed over their collective resignation to the Ministry of Urban Development ruing that their concerns were not addressed.

Their demands include raise in allowances, health insurance and accommodation and security, and addressing complaints of the homeless at the local level on time.

The Central Project Implementation Unit of the ministry mentioned in a statement on Thursday that a meeting of the NRA Directive Committee on October 26 decided to raise their allowances by 75 percent based on their performance and geographical areas. “We assure the technical staff to implement the decision to increase the allowance and ask them to return to work within the next 48 hours,” reads the statement.

The ministry also expressed its concern over the claim from the technical staff about mass resignation. “Each technical staff was mobilised in the respective affected district on contract basis and there is no provision of tendering collective resignation,” said the unit.

Those who want to discontinue with their job should present themselves at the District Level Project Implementation Unit and submit resignation letters on individual basis, said Sharma. The vacant posts would be filled by either contracting alternative members from the pool or through an alternative process.