35 bureaucrats face 10 per cent pay cut for failing to pay govt contract workers on time

In a significant move, the AAP government has initiated the process to penalise 35-odd heads of departments (HoDs) for either failing to pay wages to their contractual employees on time or not submitting requisite details to the office of city chief secretary K.K. Sharma. The city labour department has started issuing notices to these HoDs, stating they will face a 10 per cent cut in their basic salaries for not implementing the Cabinet decision related to timely release of wages to their contractual employees.

This is perhaps the first occasion when the government will penalise so many senior officers for not meeting its deadline for releasing wages of their contractual workers. The move is being interpreted in the bureaucratic circles as a direct attempt by the AAP administration to tighten its noose around officers who are not delivering on time. Of the 101 departments in the Delhi government, Mr Sharma is said to have directed the labour department to issue notices to 35 departments for non-payment of wages on time and also for not furnishing requisite information. At a high-level meeting, Mr Sharma told the defaulter departments to send their replies within three days and mark a copy of the reply to the labour wing.

The Kejriwal Cabinet had earlier decided that HoDs or secretaries would be directly responsible for ensuring timely payment of wages to contractual or outsourced workers by 15th of every month. The Cabinet had warned that these senior officers would themselves be liable for imposition of penalty equal to deduction of pay up to 10 per cent of their basic salary for that particular month, in case they failed to disburse wages on time. The Cabinet had also said the officers would get a hearing before any such penalty is imposed. Among the departments that have not disbursed wages on time and have also not given reasons for the delay are Delhi Khadi and Village Board, Delhi Agriculture Marketing Board, Gurdwara Elections Director, Delhi State Civil Supply Corporation Limited, Excise Commissioner, DIP secretary, district magistrate New Delhi, commissioner for persons with disabilities, department of SC/ ST/ OBC/ Minority, weights and measures and meteorology department. The list of 22 departments that did not send a response to the chief secretary’s office till June 30 include Public Grievance Commission, three BJP-led municipal corporations, DJB secretary and PWD engineer-in-chief.

Among the departments that have either released full wages or made part payments to contractual workers are Delhi Finance Corporation, education, power, DSIIDC, DTC, Commission of OBC, labour, DUSIB, transport and food safety department.