DMK president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to withdraw the government orders freezing the Dearness Allowance and suspending encashment of earned leave, saying that the measures would severely affect the financial condition of government employees.
“The government’s decision is condemnable. Instead of targeting its employees, the government should bring pressure on the Centre to get Tamil Nadu’s share of GST, Finance Commission allocation and relief for fighting the COVID-19 epidemic,” he said in a statement.
Mr Stalin said the measures taken by the government would not encourage the government employees who had involved themselves in the task of combating the pandemic. He also pointed out that when the government announced the lockdown, government employees had contributed one day’s salary to the Chief Minister Relief Fund and had been working to combat the disease.
“Police personnel, health workers, medical professionals, employees of revenue, municipal administration, food and cooperative societies have dedicated themselves for the work. But the government has not realised that its decision would demoralise them,” he said.
Mr Stalin said the AIADMK government had followed the BJP-led Centre when it came to taking away the benefits of government employees. “Mr Palaniswami boasted that his government was adept at financial management but its measures have proved that the finances of the state are in a mess,” he said.
