Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 21: National Mazdoor Conference (NMC), president Subash Shastri today appealed to the State Finance Minister Dr Haseeb A Drabu to allocate separate funds for immediate disbursement of dues pending for year together in favour of daily rated workers, in the various departments of the State Govt so that they would get some sigh of relief.
Addressing meeting of NMC workers here today, Shastri impressed upon the Govt to ensure monthly payment of salary/wages on regular basis to meet their both and meet become presently no wage heads in place, as a result of this these poor working class get their salary one or two months in a year causing of hardships.
“As a good will gesture, till the formalities under SRO 520 get finalized, there is absolute need to provide relief by setting up of wage head under each Head of the Department (HoD),” Shastri added.
After having interaction with NMC activists, it has come to fore that to complete the formalities of this SRO, the daily rated workers shall have to undergo a lengthy process, which should be review to be extent that minimum formalities asked to be completed to release the process on them, as they cannot leave place of posting being the daily rated workers working in essential services, Shastri said.
Regarding 7th Pay Commission recommendations to the employees of State Govt and pensioners, Shastri hoped that the State Govt headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti will sincere, and release the benefits in one go from April 1, 2018, as already announced by the Finance Minister in his Budget speech on January 11.
Emphasizing on the need for total exemption of DA from the ambit of Income Tax, Shastri also urged upon the Union Finance Minister to reconsider the practice and take early decision in this regard. He said that the price escalation in the country is directly linked with the DA of the salaried class and pensioners, adding that it was strange that the income tax is also imposed on the increase of the salaries because of DA. He also demanded to release three percent DA due from July, 2017 in favour of Govt employees and pensioner beside enhancing wages of the daily rated workers to Rs 350 per day and increasing the medical allowance to Rs 2000 per month.