Durga Puja ‘gift’ for sick PSU staff

A STAFF REPORTER

Guwahati, Sept. 27: Assam government today announced a Puja “gift” for nearly 5,000 employees of 14 closed and ailing public sector units. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi today told reporters that Dispur would be releasing liabilities of Rs 193 crore before the festivities. Of the total Rs 360 crore liabilities, the government has already released Rs 143 crore. This amount will be paid to the employees under the voluntary retirement and provident fund benefits, he said. The government also raised the puja incentive of grade IV employees from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,600. “Over one lakh grade IV employees will benefit from this,” Gogoi said. Besides, Rs 300 will be paid to Anganwadi workers and Rs 200 to Anganwadi helpers retrospectively from last April. Moreover, the state government will also release Rs 50 crore for the sick Assam Tea Corporation Limited gardens to help clear the company’s dues, he added. Gogoi said the government has also been working out plans to make pension process “friendlier” for its employees. “Retired persons will no longer face any hardship to procure pension benefits from now on,” Gogoi said, adding that the entire procedure would be made much simpler than the existing one. He said the government has also released Rs 344 crore for the flood-hit farmers and over 2,40,000 farmers were benefited by it.

source: telegraph india

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