Employees threaten stir over 6th pay arrears

PANAJI: The co-ordination committee of the Goa Government Employees, affliated to All India Trade Union Congress, has threatened an agitation before the directorate of accounts as class 'D' government employees are yet to get arrears of the Sixth Pay Commission.

In a press release, the committee stated it objects to the decision of the directorate of accounts in issuing an "arbitrary, unjust and improper circular" dated December 12, 2010, citing that an office memorandum of the Government of India, ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions dated September 9, 2010 "clearly states that all government employees will get the benefits due between January 1, 2006 and August 31, 2008, including the LDC and UDC respectively."

The committee further stated that the finance department had instructed the director of accounts and other departments to allow the grade pay in fixation at the time of financial upgradation and that such employees would give an undertaking to refund the amount in case the clarification received from government of India is not in consonance with the decision of the government of Goa.

The committee further pointed out that the directorate of accounts, the public works department, electricity department, river navigation department, education department etc, are yet to deposit the arrears of the sixth pay commission in the General Provident Fund, as a result of which, government employees including Class D will be losing interest.

'The government should therefore deposit the arrears with interest in the GPF account. The Class D employees are living hand to mouth, and for whom even a slight rise in their pay scales makes a great difference in the living conditions of their families,' the press release stated.

'If the director of accounts starts to revoke/recover the benefit of upgradation granted to LDC/UDC from January 2011 and does not disburse the arrears due to them, then its members will be forced to agitate in front of the directorate of accounts,' states the press release signed by the committee's general secretary Saturnino Mesquita.

Source:TOI