End of Welfare state in Kerala

Antony firm on Austerity Measures, issues Government Order

Many schools to be closed down, contributory pension schem, No STD, ISD, Vehicle facility for officers, many allowances withdrawn

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government is going ahead with the series of austerity measures announced by the state Chief Minister, A.K.Antony, following the meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday. Today the Government has issued an order reiterating various steps taken to control growing fiscal deficit and curtail a number of benefits enjoyed by the Government employees.

 

The Government order on Friday said re-deployment of excess staff in various departments, termination of surplus temporary posts, filling up of various vacancies both in Government Departments and in public sector undertakings only after getting prior approval from a monitoring committee etc. are some of the steps being taken as part of the austerity drive. Excess staff will be identified in various departments before the end of current financial year. They will be redeployed in a phased manner.
A committee consisting of the Principal Secretary (P and ARD) and Secretary (Finance Expenditure). Earlier orders to deploy part of the staff to local bodies will be implemented before February 28, 2002 and Those who fail to furnish joining reports would not get their salary after March 31, 2002.

According to the order, all vacancies in Government Departments and PSUs, including autonomous bodies, statutory undertakings, welfare fund boards and apex societies should be filled up only after obtaining prior approval of the Committee Consisting of the Principal Secretary, and Secretary.

A new off-duty scheme would be introduced for state Government employees under which seventy five per cent of their pay and Dearness Allowance excluding other allowances would be paid in the first year of their stay away from duty and fifty per cent of the above amount in the second year. Further surrender salary stood discontinued with effect from January 9, 2002. However, surrender leave sanctioned before that date would not be covered. Terminal surrender at the time of retirement would also continue, the Government order said.

House building allowance, motor conveyance advance and computer advance would not be given during the current financial year. Instead, new loans in consultation with banks and financial institutions would be arranged. The discount rate of commuted value of pension was enhanced to 8.75 per cent and restoration of commutation would be allowed only after 15 years. UGC scales would be admissible only on the basis of UGC norms. The order added that the Central Government would be required to stop allocations of All India Service officers to the state for the next two years.

till such times as protected teachers in aided schools were absorbed against vaccancies, they would be paid only fifty per cent of their salary. General education department would issue detailed orders.

Aided schools plus two teachers would be paid salaries prospectively from the date of creation of posts. Arrears would be paid on par with Government guest teachers. Protected teachers in Government schools would be absorbed against arising vaccancies.

It further said all uneconomic schools -- schools without sufficient children --would be stopped with effect from April 1, 2002. A contributory pension scheme would be introduced for new entrants to Government departments and PSUs where pension scheme was in existence. New entrants to Government Service, PSUs and autonomous institutions would be paid only basic salary for the first two years of service.

The Chief Secretary and the principal secretary would also review the STD phone facility given to all Government offices. Only one phone would be given to one officer at the expense of the Government The ISD facility to telephone would be limited to the offices of the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary. In the offices and official residences of Ministers only one telephone each would have STD facility. No Government officer would be eligible for more than one vehicle. A new scheme of hire cars instead of Government vehicles would be introduced. The order also said the salary of ministers would be curtailed by 20 per cent for the next six months. It said while the January salary for Government staff would be disbursed on February 1, the salary for February and March would be disbursed on March 15 and April 15 respectively.

The senior Congress leader K.Karunakaran, said in a statement that the Government should initiate discussions with the Government employees and stop a strike proposed by employee unions. The current opposition leader of the ruling Congress party has also demanded an enquiry into the multi crore Broiler Scam, which involved some senior Congress leaders.

The million dollar question is whether the Government employees from various political parties will not tolerate such overnight decisions to take away their rights obtained through protracted struggles. (keralamonitor.com)