Financial crunch

Even before the commencement of Assembly elections in December last, there was disquiet among thousands of Government employees about possible delay in the payment of their monthly salaries owing to financial crunch descending on the State. The apprehensions became more strident as days rolled by and the treasuries began complaining of drying up cash resource. The circle has come full now and thousands of Government employees are bearing the brunt of financial crunch that has left Government treasuries without cash. It is strange that despite the Government releasing funds, the treasuries remain without cash and bills have piled up with different treasury officers.
Many employees have not received salary after February last. Among the worst sufferers are the employees of Education Department, particularly the teachers employed under Plan Head.  Lecturers and staff of Government Colleges opened after 2005, and the Masters, repatriated to their home districts without adjustment against post have not received their salaries. It is not difficult for anybody to imagine what non-payment of salary means to lower and middle rung employees. The situation in case of Class IV employees is that they cannot pay the school fees of their children nor can they meet expenses because of medical support to ailing members of the family. As a matter of procedure, the Lecturers in the newly opened Government Colleges since 2005 are paid salary under Plan. Finance Department did not release grant for the same since October last. Similarly, the repatriated Masters are also not getting regular salary, as they are not adjusted against any post.
It is more a technical bottleneck than a policy matter.  An analysis of the case shows that the problem has cropped up essentially because of negligence on the part of some responsible Government functionaries. Either they are unaware of technicalities involved or they deliberately resort to sadism. In either case, the onus comes to their doorsteps.  The case of money-starved treasuries is reflective of administrative and financial incompetence particularly when grants already stand released under salary head. There appears a gap between release of funds and their disbursement to the proper recipients. People want to know why this gap has ensued now and who should be held responsible for the accumulated liabilities to the tune of 500 crore rupees because of non-payment of salaries and non-clearance of pending bills. Payment of salaries to the employees under a particular Plan is not a new thing. It is a recognized procedure with the administration. The question is that when there was no such difficulty and obstruction in the past why should it emerge now.  GAD, Finance Department and other relevant agencies must look into the case and find a solution that removes the hitch once for all. Delaying or deferring payment of salary is cognizable under violation of human rights and a simple PIL can put the Government in an embarrassing situation. That should not happen. Before anything of the sort happens, the Government should step in, remove the bottleneck and make life smooth for the employees whose salary remains unpaid. It is not at all a healthy sign and the Government should avoid it at any cost.
Bills of many contractors are also pending for payment with the treasuries. They, too, have a strong case. Their labourers and technical force engaged to work on various projects are made to withstand negative effects of non- payment of wages. It is criminal to let poor labourers and their families and children starve when they have put in their labour and should receive wages in time. Delayed payments adversely affect the progress of developmental work. This does not augur well for the State and the aspirations of the Government and the people.
In final analysis, we would like to exhort the Finance Department to take serious note of this situation and find abiding solution to the problem. It should not lose sight of legal and social implications of depriving the wage earners of their earning.

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