MAPUSA
Highlighting the financial constraints faced by nearly 120 financially weaker village panchayats in State, the All Goa Panchayat Workers Union (AGPWU), affiliated to AITUC, has urged the Directorate of Panchayats to ensure timely release of salary grants, alleging that delays in government funding often result in employees receiving their monthly wages late.
The demand forms part of a memorandum submitted to the Director of Panchayats through Bardez Block Development Officer (BDO-I) by AITUC General Secretary Christopher Fonseca and AGPWU President Santosh Naik, seeking urgent intervention on a series of long-pending issues concerning panchayat employees across the State.
Besides timely salary grants, the union has sought immediate implementation of the 7th Pay Commission for employees serving in Goa's 191 village panchayats with retrospective effect from January 1, 2016.
In the memorandum, the union stated that panchayat employees continue to be denied the benefits of the revised pay scales despite the State government extending the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission to employees of corporations, autonomous bodies, societies, agencies and public sector undertakings through a government circular issued in 2017.
The union further pointed out that panchayat employees were assured on several occasions that the revised pay scales would be implemented after the notification of the Common Cadre policy. It also referred to a recent assurance by the Panchayats Minister in the Goa Legislative Assembly that the benefits of the 7th Pay Commission would be extended to panchayat employees.
Calling for structural reforms, the AGPWU also demanded the constitution of a high-powered committee to determine an appropriate staffing pattern for village panchayats.
It argued that the existing manpower strength no longer corresponds with the growing responsibilities of panchayats in the wake of changing socio-economic, demographic and administrative requirements.
The memorandum further sought the regularisation of all daily-wage, temporary and casual employees engaged in panchayats across the State.
According to the union, employees working as typists, data processing operators, clerks, gardeners, sweepers and multi-tasking staff should be absorbed into permanent service with pay scales and service conditions at par with regular employees.
The union also urged the government to introduce family pension benefits for the families of panchayat employees who die while in service or after retirement.
