The Karnataka Rajya Gram Panchayat Naukarara Sangha affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) would take out a march from Freedom Park to the Chief Minister’s residence in Bengaluru on February 27 demanding revision of payscales of Gram Panchayat employees.
At a press meet in Kalaburagi on Saturday, State president of the Sangha Maruti Manpade said the State government should announce pension and gratuity benefits to gram panchayat employees in the upcoming State Budget. Around 50,000 workers serving at 6,022 gram panchayat offices in the State were deprived of their salary for the past one year, he alleged. Though the State government, in its notification in August 2016, had ordered revision of the salaries, the zilla panchayats had failed to implement the government’s order.
At present, gram panchayat employees get Rs. 3, 000 to Rs.5,000 every month. The permanent workers enjoy relative job security and higher wages, while the vast majority, comprising contract workers, are paid equal to what the daily wage workers get. Mr.Manpade urged the government to pay the gram panchayat employees’ salary through the funds allocated in the 14th Finance Commission.
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He urged Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj H.K. Patil and Minister for Labour Santosh Lad to address the employees’ demands. Otherwise the employees would intensify their agitation and stage an indefinite strike.