E-Paper
Uttarakhand freezes vacancies in most departments, no salary hike as Covid-19 bites
The Uttarakhand government took the decision to launch the austerity drive after suffering a loss of over ₹8,000 crore and depletion of its revenue resources due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown to contain its spread.
There will be no new vacancies in any department of the Uttarakhand government except police and health and no salary increments for government employees for 2020-21 as part of a massive austerity drive due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government took the decision on austerity measures after suffering a loss of over ₹8,000 crore and depletion of its revenue resources due to the pandemic and the lockdown to contain its spread.
The measures were announced in a government notification issued by chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh on Wednesday evening. According to the austerity measures, expenditure in all departments except for checking Covid-19 pandemic will be cut down.
The measures include creation of no new vacancies in any government departments except for police and health departments. In case of any inevitable works, services for the same would be availed from any outside agency as per norms and regulations.
Those positions which are not needed, will be scrapped and the staffers working on those would be adjusted in other departments accordingly.
The measures also stated that there would be no salary increment for any government employee on any position in 2020-21.
The government also decided not to fill any vacancies of Class 4 along with positions of driver, gardener, wireman, electrician, plumber, carpenter, liftman and AC mechanic. The services for the same would be availed through outsourcing agencies.
The government also decided to cut down expenditure on travel by officers including air travel. It has asked the officers to travel only in case of inevitable official work. It has also asked the eligible officers to opt for economy class air travel that too only in case of an inevitable official work.
Under the new austerity measures, the government has also prohibited the purchase of any new vehicles by any department and asked the officials concerned to take taxi services if required.
Also, no permission would be granted to any officer to attend any seminar or workshop in any foreign country for which the expenditure would have to be borne by the state government.
The state government has also banned the construction of any new government building and asked the departments concerned to finish the under-construction buildings as soon as possible. It also strictly banned the change of furniture or ambiance in any office just to suit the new office bearer, if any.
The government also banned any state dinners or lunches in any five-star hotels. It also asked the departments to hold meetings, seminars or workshops possibly only in government buildings and not in private hotels to cut down expenditure.
