No cut in April salary for Karnataka Govt employees

Amidst apprehension over payment of salaries and pensions to government employees, Finance Department issued an order ensuring the payment will be made.

According to the order by Ekroop Caur, secretary to government, Finance Department, delegating financial powers for April to additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries or secretaries to government, allowed "upto 1/12th of budget provision presuming concurrence of Finance Department" for payment of salaries.

"Salary shall be drawn only for the Month of April 2020 – from the amount made available to departments. Treasuries shall ensure that no arrears of salaries shall be without prior concurrence of Finance Department. If salary for the month of March has not been drawn yet, Administrative Department (AD) is allowed to draw it," the order said.

The order came after CM held informal discussion with chief secretary and senior officials of finance department over the issue. While there was a proposal to deduct salaries of government employees, Yediyurappa had reportedly opposed the same.

Finance Department also sought a list of schemes from various ADs of schemes that need to be implemented in public interest even during the lock down."Finance Department would take a call on implementation of such schemes by issuing separate delegation (of financial powers) order."

While delegation of financial power orders are issued quarterly, the lockdown has forced the government to regulate its expenditure and issue such orders on a monthly basis.