Lokayukta seeks report on 'D' group contract employees

The Lokayukta has taken up a suo motu complaint on the working conditions of the group ‘D’ contract employees in the state. He has directed the state government to submit a report on the working condition of such employees.

Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanath Shetty held a meeting with the Mangaluru Lokayukta police at the Circuit House in Mangaluru on December 2, 2018. The cook working at the circuit house by name Srinivas complained to the Lokayukta about the inconsistencies in salary disbursal to the employees on contract.

Srinivas told Lokayukta that he was hired on contract by the Public Works Department and then transferred to work as a cook at the circuit house. He said the PWD had outsourced the salary management to Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (Keonics). His complaint was that the Keonics was not providing any salary slip or details of deductions such as provident fund and ESI contributions.

Lokayukta had directed the Mangaluru Lokayukta police to submit a report based on Srinivas’ complaint. In the report, Mangaluru Lokayukta police stated that though it was true that the Keonics was not providing salary slip with required details, there was no additional deduction of money in the salary.

“The issue is not confined to the staff working at Mangaluru Circuit House alone. Similar problems have also arisen where services of other staff are taken by the PWD on contract basis through agencies. It has come to my notice that at some places employees on contract are made to pay GST, service charges of the agency. The salary of staff who discharge the duties of a ‘D’ group employee on contract basis should on a par with that of permanent ‘D’ group employee,’’ Justice Shetty said.

The Lokayukta had directed the officials concerned to submit the report on pay scale of ‘D’ group employees on contract. He has also directed the officials to submit whether any steps should be taken to protect the interests of ‘D’ group employees, including possible regularisation of their employement wherever there is vacancy.