Sources said that the budget for the new facility has been provisioned as per the recommendations of an administration committee headed by the chief secretary, but will need the approval of the cabinet.[break]
“If the cabinet endorses it, each government employee and teacher in a public school will get a dress allowance of Rs 7,500 per annum,” said a source.
There are some 72,000 persons currently serving at different government bodies, although the actual staffing level is about 86,000. Likewise, there are about 130,000 teachers at public schools.
The source elaborated to Republica that the administration committee recently submitted recommendations, which were related particularly to perks, benefits and allowances for government employees, to the Ministry of Finance for its consent and feedback.
“There are numerous financial promises contained in the recommendations. If we are to implement them all, it will sharply raise the state´s liability, rendering the recurrent expenditure unsustainable,” said the source.
Nonetheless, to pacify government employees, who have been complaining of discrimination over facilities and citing the extra incentives provisioned for revenue administrators, the finance minister has incorporated the provision on dress allowance in the budget.
“Our strategy in this case has been to appease them at least future liability for the state. But as other parties had forbidden the finance minister from announcing the new programs, he could not do so openly,” said the source.
Dress allowance had featured as one of the demands of government employee associations when they launched a protest last year, demanding salary hike and other benefits.
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