Whoever said the AIADMK was unfriendly towards government employees would have to eat their words.
In a significant move that would belie the suggestion of the DMK-led Opposition that the AIADMK was anti-employees (government), chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday announced 7 per cent dearness allowance (DA) on a par with Central government employees with retrospective effect from July 1.
It may not be overstatement to call it a bonus for the government employees during this festival season as the government had ordered the immediate disbursal of the arrears due to the employees owing to the retrospective implementation of the hike (from July 1) in DA,
which has risen by 7 per cent to 58 per cent now. The Tamil Nadu secretariat association was the first to welcome the move. In a joint statement issued by the association president and secretary, they wholeheartedly welcomed the announcement and thanked the chief minister on behalf of the secretariat staff, the 1.3 million other government employees and their families.
Also welcoming the announcement, former president of Tamil Nadu government employees association, Mr Sridhar, said the move was indicative of the growing bargaining power of government employees as well as change of heart on the part of the AIADMK leadership.
It may be recalled that it was the same Jayalalithaa dispensation which froze the dearness allowance hike and also recruitment for government service during her previous regime.
Given the ‘testing’ TESMA days the million-odd employees went through in the 2001-06 AIADMK regime, and the fear it instilled in the employees’ minds then, the present announcement was no doubt a welcome change that would help the ruling party reclaim its lost image.
Mr G. Suriyamoorthy, former state president of Tamil Nadu government officers union, said they have been rewarded for reposing faith in Amma and for not giving in to the malicious campaign of the DMK.
Courtesy: deccanchronicle
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