Poll-bound Chhattisgarh announces salary hikes, Rajasthan pension hikes & jobs

NEW DELHI: Salary hikes for government employees, enhanced pensions, new guaranteed employment scheme for urban poor – Congress governments in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have unveiled a slew of welfare measures during the on-going monsoon session of state Assemblies, the last session before the states go for elections.

ET takes a look at how the governments in the two election-bound states have gone beyond the Budget announcements of 2023-24 and announced an unexpected bonanza:

CHHATTISGARH

On the second day of the monsoon session of Chhattisgarh Assembly, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel sprung a surprise. At a time when the Opposition BJP was trying to corner the government by pushing a no-confidence motion, an unfazed Baghel tackled a different opposition – the protesting government employees.

The seasoned politician announced a slew of measures worth Rs 2,000 crore. Baghel announced a 4% hike in dearness allowance – the second such hike within a month (he had announced a 5% hike during a Cabinet meeting). With this he addressed about 5 lakh state government employees and brought their salaries on a par with central government employees.

Baghel took the supplementary demands for grants route to introduce additional sops. He announced a 27% increase in the salary of 37,000 contractual workers, which would cost the state government an additional expenditure of Rs 350 crore.

Baghel’s other announcements include monthly increase of Rs 4,000 in the salary of daily wage earners (a move which will mean an additional burden of Rs 240 crore to the exchequer), a monthly salary hike of Rs 2,000 for 1,650 guest teachers (which will be a burden of Rs 4 crore), a Rs 5,500 hike in monthly resource allowance for patwaris (additional burden of Rs 4 crore), an annual allowance of Rs 8,000 to police constables, a daily incentive allowance of Rs 100 to all mitanin trainers, block coordinators and help desk operators and Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per month to 10,000 panchayat secretaries.

The maximum monetary assistance under the Chief Minister's Special Health Assistance Scheme has been increased from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.

The announcements have a direct impact on the electorate as it increases their disposable income and could influence their voting choice in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

RAJASTHAN
Rajasthan government introduced the Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill 2023 in the Assembly earlier this week. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had announced the Bill during his Budget speech to help people struggling with inflation.

The Bill proposes a scheme Mahatma Gandhi Minimum Guaranteed Income Yojana (MGMGIY) which guarantees minimum income by providing guaranteed employment in urban areas through Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme and in rural areas through Chief Minister Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (CMREGS) beyond the 100-day employment already in place through central scheme. Once a person completes 100 days of work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment guarantee scheme in rural areas, he would be entitled for 25 additional days.

The Bill proposes 125 days of employment in urban areas. In case the state government is unable to provide employment, it would mandatorily give an unemployment allowance. The Bill is a step to provide entitlement-based social security to support the individuals and households with an additional minimum guaranteed income.

The Right to Guaranteed Social Security Pension entitles every person falling in the category of old age, differently abled,widow, single woman, with prescribed eligibility, to a pension. The pension would see an automatic increase of 15% annually on the base rate in two instalments i.e., 5 per cent in July and 10 per cent in January of each financial year.