No incharge allowance for top election officer Bhanwar Lal

Hyderabad: The state government has rejected the request of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bhanwar Lal to pay incharge allowance. Mr Bhanwar Lal in a letter to TS government had stated that he was working as incharge CEO in the state, and had to be paid the allowance.

After state bifurcation, the Centre allotted Mr Bhanwar Lal to the AP government, and asked him to look after TS affairs as well; he has been CEO for both states ever since.

In the government scheme of things, officials given full additional charge of another department are paid 20 per cent of the salary as allowance. 

Mr Bhanwar Lal draws a monthly salary of about Rs 2.25 lakh. The allowance would work out to Rs 45,000 a month.

Mr Bhanwar Lal has been incharge CEO of the state since bifurcation; going by his claim, he would need to be paid Rs 16 lakh by the TS government. 

Rejecting his request, the TS government said Mr Bhanwar Lal was not an employee of the Telangana state government. A non-employee could not be paid the allowance.