<p>Chennai: Considered a key vote bank of the ruling DMK, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday made nine announcements for the welfare of government employees, including restoration of earned leave surrender system, and advancing the submission of the report by a committee formed to thoroughly examine the old, unified, and contributory pension schemes. </p><p>The announcements – a substantial uniform increase of marriage advance to Rs 5 lakh from the existing Rs 10,000 for women and Rs 6,000 for men and enhancement of the festival advance from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 – came on the penultimate day of the nearly 45-day-long Budget Session of the Assembly. </p>.Stalin pays rich tributes to Sir Pitty Theagarayar on his birth anniversary.<p>The sops would cost the exchequer about Rs 5,000 crore annually. </p><p>A significant chunk of government employees, including teachers, have long formed the core vote bank of the DMK since the times of late M Karunanidhi, more so after the then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had suspended lakhs of employees during a strike that they held against the government in 2003. The employees openly backed the DMK in 2021 polls after the party’s manifesto promised revival of the Old Pension Scheme. </p><p>However, the DMK’s studied silence on the issue has been a bone of contention between the government and its employees. The employees had been threatening to hold agitations and launch relay strikes across the state if the DMK government didn't fulfill its poll promises.</p><p>Stalin told the Assembly on Monday that a committee was formed to study the old pension scheme, contributory pension scheme, and unified pension scheme, with a deadline of nine months to submit its report and recommendations. </p><p>“Based on requests from various government employee and teacher associations, this committee will now be instructed to submit its report and recommendations by September 30,” Stalin said, amid thumping of desks by the treasury benches. </p><p>The announcement comes as part of the DMK’s efforts to mollify government employees with just a year to go for the 2026 Assembly elections. </p><p>Other announcements are restoration of surrendering earned leaves up to 15 days for financial benefits from October 1, increase in the dearness allowance by 2 per cent with effect from January 1 this year, enhancing the advance for education purposes to Rs 1 lakh for vocational education and Rs 50,000 for arts, science, and polytechnic courses starting this year, and increasing the annual gift from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for C and D category pensioners from this year. </p>
<p>Chennai: Considered a key vote bank of the ruling DMK, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday made nine announcements for the welfare of government employees, including restoration of earned leave surrender system, and advancing the submission of the report by a committee formed to thoroughly examine the old, unified, and contributory pension schemes. </p><p>The announcements – a substantial uniform increase of marriage advance to Rs 5 lakh from the existing Rs 10,000 for women and Rs 6,000 for men and enhancement of the festival advance from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 – came on the penultimate day of the nearly 45-day-long Budget Session of the Assembly. </p>.Stalin pays rich tributes to Sir Pitty Theagarayar on his birth anniversary.<p>The sops would cost the exchequer about Rs 5,000 crore annually. </p><p>A significant chunk of government employees, including teachers, have long formed the core vote bank of the DMK since the times of late M Karunanidhi, more so after the then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had suspended lakhs of employees during a strike that they held against the government in 2003. The employees openly backed the DMK in 2021 polls after the party’s manifesto promised revival of the Old Pension Scheme. </p><p>However, the DMK’s studied silence on the issue has been a bone of contention between the government and its employees. The employees had been threatening to hold agitations and launch relay strikes across the state if the DMK government didn't fulfill its poll promises.</p><p>Stalin told the Assembly on Monday that a committee was formed to study the old pension scheme, contributory pension scheme, and unified pension scheme, with a deadline of nine months to submit its report and recommendations. </p><p>“Based on requests from various government employee and teacher associations, this committee will now be instructed to submit its report and recommendations by September 30,” Stalin said, amid thumping of desks by the treasury benches. </p><p>The announcement comes as part of the DMK’s efforts to mollify government employees with just a year to go for the 2026 Assembly elections. </p><p>Other announcements are restoration of surrendering earned leaves up to 15 days for financial benefits from October 1, increase in the dearness allowance by 2 per cent with effect from January 1 this year, enhancing the advance for education purposes to Rs 1 lakh for vocational education and Rs 50,000 for arts, science, and polytechnic courses starting this year, and increasing the annual gift from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for C and D category pensioners from this year. </p>