Late News: PENSIONERS GET BONUS TEN DAYS BEFORE DURGA PUJA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS
PENSIONERS GET BONUS TEN DAYS BEFORE DURGA PUJA
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS
Pensioners get bonus 10 days before Durga Puja
KOLKATA:
For the first time in 15 years, 4 lakh state government pensioners received
Puja ex gratia ten days ahead of the Durga Puja. They had been receiving the
bonus either right before the Puja or after it, for over a decade now. The ex
gratia amount has also been increased to Rs 900 from Rs 800 last year.
A finance
department official said quick disbursement of ex gratia was possible because
of the electronic clearing system and decentralization of drawing and
distribution officers (DDOs) at multiple locations. "We have also
increased the amount to Rs 900 from Rs 800 last year. Till 2010, it was Rs 400.
This is not a big amount but a token gesture. We had to spend just Rs 4 crore
extra for this," the official said.
The move
has made retired employees happy. Aloke Haldar, a former PWD employee who
retired in 2009, said, "For the past few years, we used to get the money
just a day before Puja or even after it. This year I can buy a saree for my
wife with the money."
Another
retired employee Mangalmoy Ghosh has already bought a kurta for himself with
the money. "We welcome this initiative of the Mamata Banerjee government," Ghosh said.
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