MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council has decided to tap the salary reserve fund to tide over the ongoing crisis in crediting the salaries of the Civic employees and daily wage workers.
Around Rs 1 crore in the salary reserve fund will be utilised to disburse the salaries of the employees as the government has given the go-ahead signal to tap the reserve fund for the purpose.
The monthly salary bill of the municipal employees is pegged around Rs 1.60 crore. Besides, the MMC is required to pay wages to the daily wage workers, amounting to Rs 35-odd lakh. The civic body has to also pay the two agencies which are engaged in the door-to-door garbage collection in the city.
If sources are to be believed, the municipality has around Rs 50 odd lakh in its coffers. With the government approving the proposal to tap the salary reserve fund, the civic body will have at its disposal another Rs 1 crore, which will help to clear the salary bill of the employees.
The civic body, however, has a task cut out how to go about mopping up revenue in order to credit the wages of the daily wage workers and to clear payments to the two door-to-door waste collection agencies.
It could not be ascertained whether the civic body will credit the salaries only of the employees with the available funds, or will credit only the net salary and also pay part wages of the daily wage workers.
When contacted, MMC Chief Officer Manuel Barretto informed that the government has given the green signal to tap the salary reserve fund amounting to Rs 1 crore.
“The municipality presently has in its coffers around Rs 50-odd lakh. If we add the Rs 1 crore salary grant, the figure would touch around Rs 1.50 crore, sufficient to meet the salary bill of the employees,” he said, adding that the civic body would take a call on whether to make the salary payments first and settle the daily wage workers and the two door-to-door waste collection agencies at a later date.
The MMC usually credits the salaries and wages of the municipal employees on the last day of the month. The civic body, however, was found wanting in crediting the salaries and wages for want of funds in the treasury.
The Municipal employees may finally get the salaries and wages early coming week, sources informed.
