SRINAGAR, Sept 24: J&K Government has ordered recovery of HRA and other allowances from employees who were paid one-month additional salary to perform election duty during Municipal and Panchayat elections held in 2018 in the erstwhile state.
An amount of Rs 43.29 was paid extra to these employees as they were paid allowances like HRA and CCA, instead of basic salary.
Pursuant to State Administrative Council Decision No. 5511012018 dated August 31, 2018, the General Administration Department in terms of Government Order No. 1789-GAD of 2018 dated December 20, 2018, sanctioned one month additional salary/wages/remuneration as the case may be, in favour of employees deployed for conduct of Municipal/ Panchayat Elections, 2018 or both, an order issued by Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, read.
It said the DDOs across the then State drew one month additional salary in favour of the employees as per their interpretation of the above Government Order.
The Principal Accountant General, J&K sought a clarification on the admissibility of various allowances while drawing one month additional salary in favour of these employees of the erstwhile State Government, since many Drawing and Disbursing Officers paid allowances like HRA/CCA etc. as a part of the salary in pursuance of the Government Order ibid, it added.
The order further said that the matter was examined in the department and it came to fore that in terms of Article 27 (b) of J&K Civil Services Regulations (Volume-I), the definition of salary does not include local allowances, HRA, deputation allowance, travelling allowance and the payment of these allowances in favour of concerned employees was wrongly made.
It, the order said has resulted in excess payment of Rs 43.29 Crore, which needs to be recovered from these officers/officials and also from the employees who in the meanwhile retired on superannuated.
Now therefore, in light of the background narrated herein above, it is ordered that the excess amount paid to any employee deployed associated with the conduct of Municipal panchayat Elections, 2018, which is not covered under the definition of salary as provided in Article 27 (b) of J&K Civil Services Regulations (Volume-I), will immediately be recovered from these employees/pensioners by the concerned Drawing & Disbursing Officer(s)/Treasury Officer(s), it added. (Agencies)
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