Fazilka, September 21, 2013: On the one hand, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab, are claiming that there is no financial crisis while on the other hand, Punjab Finance Minister says that Punjab is passing through the financial crunch. Punjab Government is spending crores of rupees for organising sangat darshan and releasing Rs.500 crore every month under power subsidy for atta-dal and shaugan schemes but the employees are not being paid their salary regularly apart from release of arrears. According to Principle Secretary Finance DP Reddy, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited has been released Rs.500 crore from April to August during the current financial year on account of free electricity to the farmers and Dalits without any delay. All this is ‘vote politics’, said Ajay Thukral, President, Punjab Government Aided Schools Teachers and Employees Union.
He expressed his concern over the attitude of the government and said, “Having no funds is not satisfactory reply from the government for release of wages, pension, allowances and arrears when crores of rupees are being released in various power subsidy schemes. The aided school employees have not been released 30 per cent arrears of pay commission for the period from January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2011 and showing discriminative attitude towards the aided school employees despite promise by the government to release the first installments of 40 per cent each in August 2012, second in August 2013 and third of 30 per cent in August 2014.
Date:
Saturday, September 21, 2013