The Uttarakhand Government’s decision to affect a threefold increase in salaries and emoluments of the position holders (Dayitvadhari) in various commissions and boards has elicited a sharp reaction from the opposition. The Congress party has even threatened to launch an agitation if the decision is not reversed.
Interacting with the media persons at Rajiv Bhawan, the headquarters of state Congress on Monday, the Vice President of the state Congress, Surya Kant Dhasmana said that the decision to increase salaries of position holders is unfortunate. “The government don’t have money to pay salaries of employees on time. The salaries of roadways and aided schools employees are delayed by three months. In such a situation the government is showering largesse on position holders. Everyone knows that the BJP workers have been appointed on these positions. It is an attempt to please them on the cost of the state. The decision amounts to open loot of exchequer,’’ he said.
The Congress leader added that the state government is keeping its eyes closed on the plight of the ousted workers of the 108 ambulance workers. “The government don’t have money for the 717 workers of 108 service who are agitating for months for their reinstatement in the 108 ambulance service but it has opened strings of its purse for the position holders. It is very unfortunate and the Congress party would oppose the decision,’’ Dhasmana said.
On the forthcoming Himalayan Conclave at Mussoorie, the Congress leader said he had suggested proposed that an all party meeting should be convened by the state government so that a consensus on the key issues of the state can be obtained but the ruling party made fun of the suggestion. He said that more than 150 hydro power projects on various rivers and rivulets of the state are stuck but nothing is being done by the BJP governments at state and centre to get them cleared. Dhasmana claimed that the ‘Green Bonus’ has become a rhetoric with state government failing to convince the Niti Aayog and Finance Commission for it.