Telangana passes order for payments deferment during disasters, emergencies

In a move likely to raise apprehensions among government employees and others,the Telangana government has promulgated an ordinance to make special provision for deferment of payments to any person, employees and pensioners in the event of disaster and public health emergency.

This comes against the backdrop of deductions made by it in salaries of government employees,pensioners and others in view of the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown on the economic situation.

The 'Telangana Disaster and Public Health Emergency (Special Provisions) Ordinance, 2020' ordinance was promulgated by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday.

According to a state government gazette notification,the ordinance shall be deemed to have come into force with effect from March 24, 2020.

As per the notification,the ordinance makes special provision for the deferment of any payment in part, due and payable to any person, institution and any pay, pension and remuneration in part, to any employee, any pensioner and any other person, in the event of disaster and public health emergency in the state and "for the matters connected therewith or incidental there to."

The deferred payment has to be given back to such person or institution or employee, in such manner as may be mentioned in the notification issued by the government to that effect, which shall be issued within six months from the date of deferment, it said.

With dwindling revenues following the lockdown in the state, the state government had in March last week decided to implement pay cut for government employees, including All India Services Officers and pensioners.

It was also decided to cut 75 per cent of salaries of teh chief minister, ministers, MLAs,MLCs, chairmen of various corporations and local public representatives.