Puducherry: In what could bring cheer to the 7,000 non-gazetted employees in Puducherry ahead of Deepavali, the government would be providing a bonus for them. But Deepavali will not bring cheer to the poor as they have not yet received the free sugar and clothing that the government provides every year.
As per the decision taken in the cabinet meeting workers and staff in the state government-owned public sector undertakings and cooperative institutions would be paid Rs 11,000 as a bonus while daily wage workers in departments would be paid Rs 1,200.
Those working for more than three years will get Rs 1,184 while an ex-gratia of Rs 1,000 would be given to the part-time, temporary and daily rated employees having less than three years of service.
At the same time, poor in the Union Territory who normally gets two kgs of sugar and free clothing for Deepavali will not be getting them this time. The shipment of clothing is yet to reach Puducherry due to delay in ordering the materials.
Welfare minister M. Kandasamy had stated that the finance secretary, who was said to be working as per the orders of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, had delayed to sign the previous year’s bill and thus the shipping of the clothing material was delayed.
The minister had alleged that the Finance Secretary and Lt Governor Kiran Bedi had rejected the files of the free sugar scheme and so the government will not be able to provide free sugar either.
Steps were taken to provide polyester sarees to all women for Deepavali. Because of the present lorry strike, there was a delay in the sarees reaching Puducherry, the minister said.
People will surely get their Deepavali gifts, but there will be a delay this year. Free sugar and clothing will most probably be handed over after the festival, said a senior official.
