Several employees working for the Tamil Nadu government were in for a rude shock on Friday, as their salaries were not credited on the last working day of the month due to glitches in migration to a new software.
According to informed sources, glitches in migrating to Integrated Financial and Human Resource Management System (IFHRMS) were the primary reason behind the non-payment of salaries to several hundred employees across the State.
Many of them turned anxious and kept checking their balance in their salary accounts through the day.
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Some claimed that the server located in Tiruchi was not capable of handling the load and that the migration to new software was problematic in several districts, except Karur.
But, one source claimed that the delay could also be due to non-submission of documents following investment declaration.
A source indicated that the delay in payment might last at least four days for Secretariat staff in Chennai.
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“We have EMIs and house rent to pay. This hasn’t happened in so many years, except during the end of a fiscal year due to closing of accounts.
“This could have been avoided if the government planned well,” a government servant rued.
Threat of penalty
Another employee pointed out that the delay in payment of salaries would only lead to paying penalty for not paying EMIs on time.
“The government has paid a huge sum to a private software company and this is what we get to witness,” he said. Salaries of State government employees are paid on the last working day of the month.
When contacted, a senior official in the Finance Department said the delay was only due to the migration to the new software and it would be “resolved soon.” However, he didn’t commit himself to a date.