GP workers protest against allocation of insufficient funds

GP workers protest against allocation of insufficient funds

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Feb 15: The Grama Panchayat Noukarara Sangha organized a protest in front of the office of the Zilla Panchayat on Feb 15, Tuesday, criticizing the state government’s apathetic attitude regarding their problems. During the protest, they urged the state government to keep its Oct 2010 promise of considering Gram Panchayath senior bill collectors for the post of Panchayat secretary.

 



Accusing the government of breaking its promise that bill collectors will be included into the category of skilled workers so that they could be considered for the post of Panchayat secretary with cent percent reservation, the protestors said that a recent government order provided only 70 percent reservation and has placed bill collectors under the category of semi-skilled workers. Explaining the matter further, the protestors said that even the promised salary of Rs. 5,799 was cut down to Rs. 5,070 in the government order.

The protestors demanded grants of Rs. 25 lakh for each Gram Panchayat for development work and to pay salaries of Gram Panchayat workers. Stating that paying bill collectors on the basis of recoveries made by them is unfair, the protestors demanded implementation of the Third Finance Commission report, which was submitted to the state government in Oct 2010. They informed that all the Gram Panchayat offices in Dakshina Kannada district were sending appeals to the state government for the implementation of the Third Finance Commission recommendations.

Complaining that provident fund benefits have not yet been implemented by taluk executive officers, the protestors demanded minimum wages and dearness allowance as prescribed by the labour department. They also demanded the promotion of SSLC-passed watermen employed in the Gram Panchayats to the post of bill collector.

Stating that the uniform annual allocation of Rs. 6 lakh to each Gram Panchayat was not sufficient, the protestors said that the Third Finance Commission has recommended that Gram Panchayats with a population of 4,000 should be allocated Rs. 9 lakh annually while those with a population of 4,000 – 8,000 should be allocated Rs. 12 lakh annually and those with a population of over 8,000 should be allocated Rs. 15 lakh annually. They complained that, owing to the allocation of insufficient funds, Gram Panchayat workers were not getting paid on time and bill collectors, librarians, and pump operators, who were all employed as per established rules, were not receiving the benefits due to government workers.

The protestors, therefore, urged the state government to declare Gram Panchayat workers as employees of the rural development and Panchayat Raj department.