State exchequer to bear additional burden of Rs 7 crore annually
The cash-strapped state of Jammu and Kashmir has decided to enhance the shifting allowance of Durbar Move employees from the existing Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 to give benefit to over 7,000 employees. An additional burden of over Rs 7 crore would be put on the state exchequer after implementation of this decision, which is aimed at keeping secretariat employees in good humour.
Official sources said the announcement of this decision would be made soon and Durbar Move employees would get the enhanced allowance this year. The Durbar will close in Srinagar in the last week of October and will reopen in Jammu on November 9.
Incidentally, the state government has taken the decision at a time when daily wagers of different departments are agitating to get their salaries. The state government has been giving the excuse of financial crisis to deny wages to these poor employees.
Official sources said a delegation of the Civil Secretariat employees had met Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu recently to present their charter of demands. They demanded enhancement of moving allowance from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 but the Finance Minister agreed to enhance it to Rs 15,000.
The delegation had also demanded that the Durbar Move employees should be exempted from toll tax on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
At a time when the nation is laying emphasis on e-governance, the J&K Government every year spends crores of rupees as transportation charges to shift official record from one capital city to another.
