Srinagar, Oct 17: At a time when the Government is contemplating to empower Panchayats in JK, employees of Urban Local Bodies going on an indefinite strike has brought over 47 municipal bodies across the Valley to a grinding halt.
 Over 4000 employees of all the municipal committees and councils across the valley, who staged sit-in demo in press enclave here on Monday, have been on strike since Oct 7 demanding the release of their salaries in accordance with “the re-organization in the Housing and Urban Development Department.”
 While talking to Greater Kashmir President of JK Urban Local Bodies Employees United Forum Manzoor Ahmad Pampori said, “New rules were drafted by the Government in 2008 to release our salaries in accordance with reorganization of the department, but till date we continue to draw our salaries as per old arrangement,”
 The Forum, Pampori said, had requested the concerned authorities to redress their genuine grievances. “However, officials failed to do anything substantial in this regard,” he said, adding the employees were forced to take the recourse of strike.
 Director Urban Local Bodies Muhammad Afzal said the problem is due to “illegal recruitments” in the departments. “The department gives 1/3rd of the department’s income as salaries but illegal appointments created the problem. When the Finance Commission recommended giving salaries in accordance with the area and population the expenditure increased and salaries were automatically deducted”, said Afzal.
 According to him the funds of around Rs 21.57 Crore were released for the employees last year (April- September). “But this year due to adjustment of illegal appointees and thereby increase in expenditure, over  Rs 40 crores were spend this year (April-September)”, he said.
 The extent of the government funding of municipal bodies is based on the population of the town.
 However, the sources said, this essential norm had not been followed and the funds were released as per the number of employees, thus encouraging this illegal employment.
  “The funds generated from local tax collection, devolution funds from the state’s revenue and developmental grants are now exclusively utilized to pay salaries,” they added.
 Afzal said he had already sent the recommendation about the issue to the concerned Ministry. “We have sent all the information from the executive officers of the 47 municipal bodies across Kashmir province to the Minister. Now the matter is in the hands of Minister to decide,” he said.
 When contacted, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development said the enquiry committee is yet to submit its report. “After we will receive the report from the committee we will accordingly decide what needs to be done in the matter,” he said.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST