New Delhi: In a significant step to ensure livelihood security of lakhs of contractual employees working with the central government departments and ministries and their subordinate offices, the government has decided to pay them the wages for the month of March and April if they are not able to attend the office due to lockdown imposed by the state governments.
The order will also cover outsourced staff such as house-keeping staff deployed at central government establishments, subordinate and autonomous bodies and other statutory bodies under the central government.
Finance Ministry said due to the lockdown measures announced by the states there is a likelihood that a large number of contractual and outsourced staff may not be able to attend office which in normal circumstances would result in deduction of their salaries.
"In order to avoid any undue hardships under the prevailing extraordinary circumstances, it has been decided that they shall be treated as 'on duty' during such period of absence and necessary pay and wages would be paid accordingly," said the finance ministry.
The move is aimed at providing relief to lakhs of casual, contractual and outsourced staff in direct and indirect employment of the Union government, its subordinate and attached offices, including autonomous and statutory bodies.
While outlining a roadmap for self-imposed nationwide lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week urged the business community to pay their workers during the lockdown period as these workers in unorganised sector are most vulnerable to any kind of lockdown.
It was expected that the Union government will also follow the move with contractual and outsourced staff working it and its subordinate and attached offices.
Credit to states for lifting foodgrain
Finance ministry also approved the proposal of food and public distribution department to allow states to lift three months of foodgrain of their quota on credit from the Food Corporation of India.
"This will ensure that the States do not face any cash constraint in distributing food to those in need," finance minister Nirmala Sithraman said in a tweet.
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