No advance salary for staff serving in Kinnaur, Lahaul

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 21

Employees serving in the tribal and remote areas of the state in Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti, Pangi and Bharmour will not get their salary for the winter duration in advance as was the practice earlier.

Even as the officials of the Finance Department claimed that the decision had been prompted due to the new practice of online transfer of salaries, the fact remains that the poor financial health of the government does not permit disbursal of four-month salary in advance. The debt trap of Himachal has crossed Rs 40,000 crore and meeting the heavy salary and pensionary component has become a challenge for the government.

“The system of payment of salary in advance was in vogue since when the reach of banks and treasuries was minimal and all the work had to be done manually,” the November 18 order of the Finance Department read. The argument given was that since all the tribal areas are being served by various bank branches and salary is being disbursed electronically by directly crediting into the bank accounts of all the employees, there was no need to give advance payment.

The number of employees posted in tribal and remote areas is quite huge with Education and Health department having a sizeable staff.

“Since now there is no problem in transferring the salary electronically, we have decided to do away with the earlier practice of advance payments,” said an official of the Finance Department. Another reason he gave for doing away with the earlier practice was that some of the employees posted in these tribal areas would take their four-month salary and not return on duty after proceeding on leave.

The government now feels that for such erring officials, it will become mandatory to return on duty to get their salary after a month’s time and not remain absent for the entire winter period.

Opposition BJP and former Chief Minister PK Dhumal has already expressed concern over the deteriorating financial health of the state. Dhumal has said that improving the financial health of the state would be his topmost priority when the BJP assumes power in the state.

Poor financial health

• Poor financial health of the government does not permit disbursal of four-month salary in advance. 
• The debt trap of Himachal has crossed Rs 40,000 crore and meeting salary and pensionary component has become a challenge for the government.

Other reason

• Another reason cited for doing away with the earlier practice was that some of the employees posted in these tribal areas would take their four-month salary and not return on duty after proceeding on leave. 
• The government now feels that for such erring officials, it will become mandatory to return on duty to get their salary after a month’s time and not remain absent for the entire winter period.