Unpaid for 3 months, Haryana tourism staff asked to generate 50% salaries from ‘own sources’

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 16

Without salaries for three months, the field staff of Haryana Tourism has been asked to generate 50% of their salaries from their “own sources” at a time when the hospitality industry is in the doldrums due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Blaming the current situation on “financial crunch due to Covid-19”, an order of the Chief Accounts Officer of Haryana Tourism, asked the Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) that “it was expected from them to generate 50% of the salary from their own sources”.

If 100% salary is to be paid to the employees, the field staff should be able to generate half of the salary with 50% contribution from the headquarters. In the meantime, the DDOs and the counter in charges (receptionists) would get only 25% of their salaries as headquarters is not in position to pay 50% of the salary.

Meanwhile, Suresh Nohra, chairman of the Haryana Tourism Karamchari Sangh, demanded that full salaries of the field staff should be released immediately as it was not possible for them to generate any revenue as hospitality industry was in a shambles due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Subhash Lamba, president of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, flayed state government’s decision asking employees to generate their own salaries terming it “illegal and unjust”.

However, order assured 100% salaries to certain categories for months of May, June and July would be released soon. These included outsourced, contractual staff, gardeners, sweepers and staff covered under the budgetary support of infrastructure and horticulture departments and employees transferred from one tourist complex to another.

In the wake of lockdown and other Coronavirus restrictions since late March, 44 properties owned and managed by Haryana Tourism are running in heavy losses. A majority of the tourist complexes are currently used to house Corona warriors, including medical and paramedical staff.

Highlights

Haryana Tourism asks it field staff to generate salaries from “own sources”.

Haryana Tourism says it was unable to even pay 50% of salaries.

Employees’ unions term the decision as “illegal & unjust”.