Chennai: To try and end the ongoing strike by government employees, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday announced a slew of concessions, including a hike in assistance under Family Welfare Fund and setting up of an expert panel to study the state government employees' demand for scrapping contributory pension scheme.
Amid a stir by sections of government employees pressing for several demands since February 10, she said government employees "are the face, foundation, and backbone of the government" who take government welfare schemes to the people.
In a statement, she said government employees had given several demands and representations over which senior ministers and officials held talks with them.
“My government has decided to give them various concessions,” she said. On the demand of several government employees unions for scrapping the contributory pension scheme and reverting to the old pension scheme, she said since the demand should be thoroughly scrutinised, an expert committee would be set up to go into the demand and make recommendations to government. “An appropriate decision will be taken based on the report of the panel,” she said.
The contributory pension scheme is applicable for those who joined government service on or after April 1, 2003.
Ms Jayalalithaa said the new pay commission would consider the demand for change in pay scale and regularisation of services of employees under consolidated pay scheme and time pay scale for those who were receiving salary under special time. “These demands could be considered only by taking into consideration the hierarchy and parity. So only the pay commission will consider these demands,” she said.
She said the assistance under the family welfare fund for kin, if government employees die in harness, would be increased to Rs 3 lakh from Rs 1.5 lakh.
She also announced that under group insurance scheme for employees including those in local-bodies, government aided educational institutions, and nutritious meal programme, the sum insured would be increased to Rs 3 lakh from the present Rs 1.50 lakh.
Ms Jayalalithaa said the government would issue an order for regularising the services of employees appointed on compassionate ground. “In normal course, those who are appointed on compassionate ground are eligible for pay hike and other benefits only after their services are regulated. Since it required the nod of the Tamil Nadu Public Services Commission (TNPSC) regularization of their services got delayed. The government will issue an order for regularisation of services of those who do not require relaxation of rules. Till the nod if obtained, they will be treated as temporary employees," she said.
As far as the employees of anganwadi and nutritious meal scheme, their pension will be increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. The financial assistance given to nutritious meal scheme employees at the time of retirement will be increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. The cooks will get Rs 25,000 as retirement benefit instead of Rs 20,000.
