CM Mamata Banerjee announces festival bonus for Muslim staff

KOLKATA: In its bid to appease the Muslim population before next year's Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee's government has announced festival bonus for those state government employees who belong to the minority community. These employees whose monthly salaries are within Rs Rs 24,000 will get Rs 3,200 as festival bonus on July 15, ahead of the Eid.

State finance minister Amit Mitra told reporters that the government will have to bear an additional expenditure of Rs 400 crore for the purpose. "The state government will. 400 crore for the payment use of bonus and festival advance to our employees. This is a gesture on our part before the festival season," Mitra said af ter announcing the scheme.

But the finance minister remained silent about payment of dearness allowances (DA) to its employees. Presently, state government employees are getting lower DA than those who are employed with Central government establishments and there has been a very strong resentment among the state government employees over this discrimination.

A senior official of the finance depart ment said that the government might announce a significant increase in payment of DA to its employees by the year end or early next year.

Assembly elections in Bengal will take place before May in 2016 and by announcing DA payment before that Mamata's government might take the opportunity to appease its employees before the polls.Apart from giving festival bonus, the state government has also decided to give festival advance to its employees. Employees whose salaries fall between Rs 35,000, are Rs 24,000 and eligible to take festival ad vance worth Rs 3500. But the employees will have to repay this advance maximum in eight instalments.

State government employees who do not belong to the minority community, will also get festival bonus which will be paid to them between October 5 and 9.