Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Jun 22: The Arunachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Contractual Employees Forum (APPRCEF) has demanded enhancement of salaries of all 1255 contractual employees working under the Panchayati Raj Department in the State as per the norms of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
Addressing a press conference here today, APPRCEF secretary general Taniya Yangfo informed that the contractual employees in the department have been working with meager salaries for the past 13 years. “In this regard, the State Development Committee 2015, under the chairmanship of the then Chief Secretary Ramesh Negi, had recommended for shifting of contractual employees, appointed under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). After that in the year 2016 State Panchayat Expert Group (SPEG) under the chairmanship of the then Chief Secretary Shakuntala D Gamlin directed to consider the salaries of contractual employees of Panchayat Raj department in consonance with the 7th CPC recommendations. But till date none of the recommendations have been implemented, nor our salaries enhanced,” he lamented.
Claiming that an order has been issued recently by the Secretary Panchayat Raj for enhancement of salary/wages of 1066 contractual employees with wages pattern of skilled/unskilled contingency/ contingent employee who are serving in the posts of sweeper, dak runner, peon, driver, computer assistant and computer cum account assistant, he said that the forum is opposed to it. “It is not systematic nor it is as per the 7th CPC. Therefore, we strongly refused the order and have written to the Secretary Panchayati Raj to reconsider the pay enhancement order,” he said.
The Forum president also expressed disappointment with the salary pattern. “Placing the qualified contractual staff at par with the daily wage category is a serious discrimination for the experienced and equipped employees,” he reasoned.
APPRCEF served a 30-day ultimatum to the government for responding to its memorandum, failing which it threatened to launch a democratic movement.