Dated: 13th October-2020
PRESS STATEMENT
The Finance Minister, Government of India, has declared two special packages for the Central Government Employees -- viz ; Special Festival Package for grant of advance and Special Cash package equivalent in lieu of Leave Travel concession fare , for the financial year ending 31st March 2021.
Grant of Festival advance is not a new benefit, in so far as this facility was available to the Central Government Employees, till the implementation of 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations by the present Government. The Confederation of Central Govt Employees and Workers and also the Staff side, National Council JCM has been demanding the Government to modify the 7th CPC recommendations and retain the facilty of Festival advance as before. But the Central Government was very adamant and snatched away the benefit of Festival advance. Instead of restoring the Festival advance as a permanent measure, the Government has now declared the package as a one - time measure, only upto the Financial year ending 31st March 2021. We demand the Government to restore Festival advance as a permanent measure as it is a refundable advance only.
The Special cash package equitant in lieu of Leave Travel concession is nothing but extraction of money of Central Govt. Employees by way of spending three times more the amount to be sanctioned by Government under the package. That means to get 1/3rd amount , the employee has to spent 2/3rd amount from his pocket , that too for compulsory purchase of goods and services with a GST of minimum 12% or above.
As per the existing orders of the Central Government on Leave Travel concession , employees are already eligible for LTC fare of eligible class and Leave encashment of ten days. Instead of imposing stringent conditions like spending three times more amount for getting eligible amount , Government should have extended the LTC facility for the current block year 2018 - 21 for one or two years , taking into consideration the Covid -19 pandemic situation. Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers strongly protest the imposition of harsh conditions on employees for availing the special cash package in lieu of LTC.
The Central Government has freezed the Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) of Central Government Employees and Pensioners from 01.01.2020 to 30.06.2021. Instead of imposing further restrictions on the existing LTC benefits of employees, the Central Government would have withdrawn the freezing of DA and DR. Further, the Bonus is normally declared in the first half of October every year , but bonus for this year is yet to be declared by the Government. DA due on 1st July 2020 is to be declared in September 2020, but the same is also not yet declared.
In view of the above, we strongly demand the Central Government that instead of imposing more adverse conditions on the existing benefits of the Central Government Employees , the Government should immediately withdraw the DA/DR freezing orders and declare the bonus for the current year without any further delay.
R.N.PARASHAR
SECRETARY GENERAL
