Disability allowance disparity has 2,000 employees fuming

Tribune News Service

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Faridkot, June 6

The lack of parity in the disability conveyance allowance in the state to over 2,000 employees with locomotor and orthopedic disabilities as opposed to the differently abled staff under other categories has left the former fuming.

While all blind, deaf and dumb employees are given Rs1,000 per month as conveyance allowance, there is no increase in the same for those with locomotor disabilities. They have been getting Rs600 per month as conveyance allowance for many years.

On October 26, 2016, the Finance Department had issued a notification increasing the conveyance allowance of all blind employees from Rs600 to Rs1,000 per month. Thereafter as “deaf and dumb” staff too category put forth a demand for a similar hike, the state government agreed to it on May 22 this year.

“It is strange that only employees with locomotor and orthopedic disabilities are still given Rs600 as conveyance allowance,” rued Balwinder Singh, state coordinator of Punjab Apang Suwang Lokmanch. The employees at the district level have already submitted their representation to the Deputy Commissioners and MLAs but there had been no relief so far, he said.

Crux of the matter  

• All blind, deaf and dumb employees are given Rs 1,000 per month as conveyance allowance. Those with locomotor disabilities get Rs 600 
• In 2016, the Finance Department had issued a notification increasing the conveyance allowance of all blind employees from Rs 600 to Rs 1,000