Contractual staff to get wages on time from contigency fund

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 17

The state government has decided to provide funds from the contingency fund to all Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of the state, to meet emergency requirements of funds for timely payment of wages and honorarium to employees and workers engaged on contract basis in districts under centrally sponsored or state schemes.

While stating this here, a spokesman for the Finance and Planning Department said detailed guidelines had been issued in this regard.

The spokesman said an amount of Rs1 crore would be provided to DCs from the contingency fund of the state for the payment of wages and honorarium to persons engaged on contractual basis such as anganwadi workers, Asha workers and workers engaged under the mid-day meal scheme, whose wages are partly paid by the state government and to employees of authorities, missions and registered societies which are fully or partially funded by the state government.

He said payment of wages not below 50 per cent and not exceeding 75 per cent would be made in advance, depending on the judgment of the DC. All such payments out of the fund would be paid into the employee’s Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. He said whenever the benefit reaches one or more employee of any organisation by a DC, the same would immediately be communicated to the head of the department along with a request to ensure that the fund is replenished as early as possible. Reuse of amount from fund would only be allowed once the earlier amount drawn is replenished, he added.

The spokesman said that for grant of benefit of this advance, the DC must obtain a confirmation of the emergent situation from the district head of the organisation for release of the amount from the fund on a temporary basis. He said the fund may be used only up to February in the financial year or up to the month in which second supplementary estimates or revised estimates are being finalised. This fund would strictly be used for payment of salary or wages only and not for any other purpose under any circumstances.

He said all DCs would report the expenditure incurred from contingency fund to the Finance Department at the end of every month through the Additional Chief Secretary-cum- Financial Commissioner and the Revenue and Disaster Management Department. Apart from this, they would have to submit the report of the expenditure incurred from the fund under various schemes of the departments. estimates in a given financial year. The scheme would be implemented from the financial year 2019-20.

Rs 1 crore allotted 

• An amount of Rs 1 crore will be provided to DCs from the contingency fund of the state for the payment of wages and honorarium to persons engaged on contractual basis 
• All payments out of the fund would be paid into the employee’s Aadhaar-linked bank accounts