Civic staff in Pondycherry gets salary hike

All categories of staff and workers in the municipalities and commune panchayats in the Union Territory of Puducherry have been sanctioned increased salaries in keeping with the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.

This was announced by Local Administration Minister A Namassivayam after a meeting with representatives of employees associations at his chamber here today.

Addressing presspersons, Namassivayam said that the government had decided to extend the benefit of the hike in wages to the staff and workers of all the five municipal councils and ten commune panchayats in the Union Territory.

A little over 2300 staff from sanitary wokers to executive engineers would be benefitted by the increase in wages. The new pay scale would be implemented retrospectively from January 2006 as prescribed by the Pay commission.

Namassivayam said that while the payment of arrears would mean an expenditure of Rs 9.79 crores for the municipalities the commune panchayats would have to disburse (arrears of pay) Rs 3.58 crores. The arrears related to 32 months from January 2006 to August this year.

The minister said that the government had received the report of the Finance Commission to mop up the funds for the municipal bodies. Asked if there would be a drive to collect property tax wherever it was due he said such measures would be launched and care would be taken that there was no harassment or hardship to the taxpayers at any stage.

He conceded that there was a virtual burden for civic bodies to bear the expenditure arising out of the new pay scales. `Chief Minister V Vaithilingam has assured to come to the help of the municipal administration with sufficient funds`, Namassivayam said.

Director of Local Administration Department E Vallavan, Chairperson of Municipal council Dr B.Sridevi, the secretrary of the Confederation of government employees associations R.Anandarajan, the secretary of central federation of employees associations P.Lakshmanaswamy, the AITUC leader V S Abishegam and a few other leaders of workers unions were also present.

Namassivayam said that the report of the Finance Commission would be perused and placed before the cabinet for its approval and for steps to implement its recommendations.

Source : Chennaionline.com