With just five months left for the completion of the current financial year the inordinate delay in allocation of the State’s annual plan by the Government of India has led to a piquant situation with many development plans coming to a standstill. Minister for Planning and Development Ajay Sadhotra had recently said in the Legislative Assembly that the government has approved works only on the ongoing development schemes for this year. “No new developmental scheme has been approved owing to delay in the plan allocation for the ongoing year,” he said. The State Government had in its Budget for 2014-15 projected the plan size of Rs 11,900 crore including Rs 7,300 crore main plan, Rs 4,000 crore assistance under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and Rs 600 crore assistance under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP). The delay in the plan allocation created a financial crisis-like situation in the State last month following which the government borrowed
Rs 300 crore from the open market to meet the daily expenses. Added to this, a significant segment of employees have been demanding for the removal of pay anomalies of clerical and other cadres, release of 10 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) due from January and 7 per cent from July, 2014, regularisation of all ad hoc, contractual and daily rated workers, enhancement in Medical Allowance from Rs.300 to Rs.2,000 and implementation of Sixth Pay Commission in favour of remaining public sector organisations by providing additional budgetary support to all the PSUs. Not only this even National Mazdoor Congress too has been demanding release of dearness allowance arrears before the Model Code of Conduct comes into operation once the elections to the State Assembly are announced.
