The Puducherry Unified Ministerial Staff Association has taken exception to the proposed move by the government to roll back salary of an estimated 15,000 employees to tide over the COVID-19-related financial crunch.
A. Rajendran, association general secretary, said in a press note that employee spend was crucial to sustain the base of the Union Territory's economy as well as to the livelihoods of various sectors such as street hawkers and grocers.
Contending that regular and assured salary of the government servant gives consistent growth in the economy and acts as strong platform for survival of various pockets, he said any curtailment in salaries would worsen the money flow and economy leading to adverse impact on the employment of organised and unorganised sector.
“The government is a model employer and should set an example to all. During lockdown, the government has issued instructions to the industries to give full pay to the labourers. This example has to be followed (by the State) without reducing the salary of government servants,” he said.
He urged the government, instead, to focus on tight expenditure control. For example, various offices are spending ₹45,000 per vehicle for usage of vehicle by outsourcing and there is lot of expenditure incurred on fuel consumption by government vehicles.
Since Puducherry is a tiny area, there is no need for more number of government and outsourced vehicle.
He also pointed out as another instance of wasteful expenditure the poor management in PWD, which resulted in crores of rupees being paid as penalty for power consumption in overhead tank, pump and sewerage stations.
Wastages of this sort is occuring every day in the administration and if strict measures are enforced, the administration can save the exchequer huge amounts of money and there will be no requirement to reduce the salary, Mr. Rajendran said.
