The Cabinet has decided to withdraw its earlier decision to deduct one month’s salary of government employees and teachers over six months from September to mobilise resources following the COVID-19 outbreak.
The leave surrender norm that was deferred because of the financial crisis will be allowed from this month on the condition that it will be deposited in the PF account of the employees. A communication from the Chief Minister’s Office said employees can withdraw the leave surrender encashment from June 1, 2021.
The leave surrender encashment for the next fiscal year for all classes of employees will be allowed only from June 1, 2021. Those who do not have PF account will get the leave surrender as cash. The six-day salary deducted from employees working on honorarium basis will be returned, the communication said.
The decision to shelve the September 16 Cabinet decision follows the directive of the CPI(M) State secretariat to Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac in view of the forthcoming elections to local bodies, apprehensions raised by pro-LDF unions, and move by pro-UDF unions to seek legal measures if the government went ahead with the salary cut. The Centre’s decision to borrow and provide back-to-back loans to the States in lieu of GST compensation also led to the decision.
The Cabinet also decided to do away with the practice of reporting vacancies if an officer goes on leave for more than three months. Instead of the existing practice of promoting the junior, additional responsibility will be given for smooth functioning.
Redeployment
The Cabinet also approved the redeployment of the personnel of the General Administration wing of the Secretariat. The report was prepared by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department based on its field studies. The excess posts of computer assistant and officer attendant in the wing will be shifted to the districts, except Thiruvananthapuram, on working arrangement after securing the employees’ approval. The Cabinet also decided to carry out similar studies for the redeployment of the personnel in the Finance and Law departments in the Secretariat.
Based on the recommendations of the high-power committee of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI), the Cabinet gave the nod to execute the Plan projects of Agriculture, Women and Child Welfare, Environment, and Water Resources Departments under the RKI.
