BENGALURU:The state government’s decision to sanction servant allowance of Rs 6,000 and telephone charges of Rs 1,000 to retired chief secretaries and additional chief secretaries has come into effect amid its austerity measures due to severe drought. This large-hearted gesture will cost the state exchequer about Rs 42 lakh per year at present.
According to official sources, the government, which had issued an executive order in March this year, started disbursing the allowance from August.
The government had made the Department of Small Savings and Pension the disbursement authority to implement its order on the issue. “Fifty eligible retired senior IAS officers in the rank of retired Chief Secretaries and Additional Chief Secretaries had batted for the allowance and it is costing the state exchequer about Rs 3.50 lakh per month,” the sources said.
There are about 75 retired high ranking IAS officers, including retired Union Cabinet secretaries and secretaries of the Karnataka cadre, who are eligible for the allowance. Another six to eight officers who retire would be added to the list every year.
The government order also stated that they will get medical reimbursement as per the all India services (medical attendance) Rules, 1954. Eligible retired officers will have to submit their medical bills to the Principal Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, for scrutiny before sending it to the Department of Small Savings.
“No retired officer in the category has claimed reimbursement of medical allowance so far,” the source told Express. So far, only High Court judges could avail such facilities and it is not applicable to retired senior IPS or IFS officers, the sources said.
Move Criticised
Sharply criticising the state government’s gesture, former president of State Government Employees’ Association, Byrappa said, “It cannot be justified as retired officers concerned are already eligible to get huge retirement benefits. This may trigger similar requests from retired IFS and IPS officers in the future and there would be no end to departments seeking government freebies,” he added.
The state government, which is advocating austerity measures among its employees, should rethink this decision, he said.