Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday made it clear that there would be no restriction on the withdrawal of the General Provident Fund (GPF) advances by the state government employees.
He said despite financial difficulties faced by the state due to the crisis arising out of the COVID-19 situation, there will be no restriction on the withdrawal of GPF advances by the employees for unavoidable expenditures like marriages.
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Khattar was presiding over a meeting with the leaders of various employees' unions through video-conferencing here, an official statement said.
Asserting that the employees were the backbone of the government, he said they will continue to get the benefit of the 17 percent Dearness Allowance (DA).
He also clarified that results for the recruitment for 12,316 posts for which written examinations have already been conducted would be declared immediately after the lockdown ends.
He said in the last over five year's tenure of the BJP government, 68,560 posts have been filled by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) and about 5,000 by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC).
Khattar said the government has adopted a "fair and transparent" recruitment policy under which jobs are being given to the deserving youth.
He also expressed his gratitude to the Nursing Welfare Association Haryana for their decision to forgo the doubling of salaries of the regular employees and to contribute one day's pay to the Haryana Corona Relief Fund.
He said the association had conveyed that the chief minister had announced to double the monthly salary of the nursing staff who are at the forefront of the battle against coronavirus.
However, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have decided to forgo the hike as the government needs funds to help fight the disease. Apart from this, regular nursing staff has also expressed their willingness to contribute one day's pay to the Haryana Corona Relief Fund, he added.
The chief minister also expressed his gratitude to all the health organisations, employees of the health department and the NHM, police personnel, sanitation workers who are continuously working in this hour of the crisis.
He said out of the 2.80 lakh government employees, around 2 lakh employees have expressed their willingness to contribute to the Haryana Corona Relief Fund.
The chief minister said that as the state government has to spent an amount of Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 7,000 crore every month on account of committed expenditure like salaries, pensions including social security pensions and loan repayment.
Therefore, the employees union should come forward and suggest ways to reduce their expenses including through forgoing or deferment of certain allowances in this time of crisis, he said.
He said efforts are being made by the government to ensure that no poor in the state is deprived of food.
For this, 1.93 crore food packets have so far been distributed by the government. Apart from this, arrangement for relief camps has been made for about 16,000 migrant labourers and homeless people, he added.
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