N.E. Special allowance
The Central Government employees in the North-East submitted a memorandum to the Governor on January 10 for forwarding it to the Union Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, soliciting re-examination of the provisions of the special (Duty) Allowance.
The memorandum, which was submitted under the aegis of the Regional Coordination Committee of the Central Government Employees and Workers, North Eastern Region, stated that the Union Government had denied the ‘‘special duty allowance’’ at 25% of basic pay to the low-paid Central employees who are serving the difficult Nort-East as much as those having all-India transfer liability.
It quoted the relevant orders of the Finance Ministry of December 14: ‘‘Central Government civilian employees who have All India transfer liabIlity will be granted a Special (Duty) Allowance at the rate of 25 per cent of basic pay subject to a ceiling of Rs 400/- per month, on posting to any station in the North Eastern Region. Such of those employees who are exempt from payment of income tax will, however, not be eligible for this Special (Duty) Allowance.’’
The RCC argued that the working conditions being equal for all sections of its employees it was a ‘‘gross discrimination’’ to extend such an allowance only to those who come to serve temporarily. It demanded that all sections of Central Government employees should be brought under the purview of the Special Allowance.
It further demanded deletion of the Income Tax factor from the Orders so that the Scheduled Tribes (who donot pay pay tax) are not deprived of the privilege.