FP Exclusive: Payments Other Than Salaries Of MP Govt Employees Put On Hold Owing To Grim Fiscal Condition

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Despite disbursement of more than Rs 100 crore, about 15% of regular government employees in Ujjain district are still deprived of their salaries for September. Likewise, 75% and 50% of temporary and contingent employees, respectively were also eagerly waiting for their salaries. Moreover, payments other than the salaries of employees have been put on hold for the past fortnight. This is not the situation of Ujjain district alone but of Madhya Pradesh owing to prevailing fiscal crisis.

There are about 165 drawing and disbursement officers in Ujjain district. Not only they, but even the treasury officers at tehsil and district-level can be seen perturbed on how to win over the ‘no payment situation’. As revealed by the sources, the finance department directed them on Sept 22 not to entertain any bills other than the salary bills of government employees.

The amount which has been cleared in favour of the employees so far was also released in installments and not on the salary day that is first date of the month.

The situation is so peculiar that those employees who are seeking payments under GPF and DPF accounts have been asked to wait. Those who want to clear urgent medical bills are getting frustrated. Diesel, petrol, telephone, electricity etc bills of all government officers and offices have also been put on hold. Authorities concerned have been directed not to send bills related to different construction activities and basic works. Even the funds sanctioned by the ministers, MPs and MLAs are not being cleared for payments, sources said.

Sources in the finance department said that such a situation has emerged owing to non-generation of required funds to fulfill the demands of various payments. As the government resources are already in-sufficient to compensate the demands of payments, the authorities are trying their level best to procure loans from different financial institutions continuously, yet there is a big gap in availability of funds and release of payments. As preference would be shifted after enforcement of model code of conduct in view of assembly elections, the situation may remain prevalent further, the sources added.