KOLLAM: The salaries of 250-odd employees with the poverty alleviation units under the rural development department have not been paid for want of central funds. The January salary has not been disbursed in several units under the district rural development agency (DRDA) leaving the permanent and temporary employees in dire straits. “The salaries are paid from the account of DRDA, which is funded equally by the state and central governments. The state’s contribution is transferred to the account only after the centre’s contribution is allotted. The central share has been reduced to 50 percent from the previous 75 percent. They are not sanctioning the funds even after their share has been lowered,” an official with the department told DC.
The poverty alleviation unit, which was known as DRDA before decentralisation, comes under the district panchayats. The central government has been reluctant to provide funds to pay the salaries of these “state government employees”. The employees are appointed by rural development department designated to work under the poverty alleviation units in all 14 districts. The permanent and temporary employees, including the office attendants and other clerical staff, have faced salary payment delays during several months in the past.
“This has made efficient employees to shy off from delivering their service to the department. The emplo-yees when ordered to join the department even utilise political power to change the appointment,” the official added. The district poverty alleviation units also face a crisis to find money to pay operational expenses and the salary reform dues of the retired employees. Meanwhile, the salaries of officials with the engineering wing, including the executive engineer and assistant executive engineer, are given through treasuries. The government has also ignored the demand of the employees to appoint the project director as the drawing and disbursing officer – DDO – to pay the salaries through treasuries.
