14 sick PSUs to get all dues before Puja in Assam

Guwahati, Sep 27 (UNI) The Assam government today announced to release all dues to 14 sick PSUs before the Durga Puja festivities starting next week.

''This is a Puja gift to the employees of the sick units who have long been demanding their outstanding dues,'' Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said at a press conference here.

The 14 PSUs had incurred total liability of Rs 360 crore, of which Rs 143.19 crore was released earlier. The remaining Rs 193 crore would be released by next week, Mr Gogoi added.

This would benefit over 5,000 employees and the money would cover all incurred expenses, including money for voluntary retirement schemes and common provident fund.

Mr Gogoi also informed that the festive allowance for grade IV state government employees had been increased to Rs 1600 from Rs 1000, which would benefit over one lakh people. He added that the government was also planning to pay the liability of Rs 50 crore incurred by the Assam Tea Plantation Corporation, though a final decision was still not taken.

Accepting that pensioners had to face difficulties in getting their monthly payments, the chief minister said the procedure was being simplified so that pensioners could get their dues from the very first month without unnecessary hassles.

''We are also in the process of simplifying procedure for clearance of other departments,'' he added.

On the benefits to the farmers' by the loan waiver announced by the Union Finance minister, Mr Gogoi informed that 2.40 lakh farmers in the state got a total of Rs 344 crore waived.

The 14 PSUs that would be benefited by today's announcement include Cachar Textiles Industries Ltd, Assam State Minor Irrigation Development Corporation Ltd, STATFED Ltd, Assam Government Construction Corporation Ltd, Cachar Sugar Mills and Assam State Textile Corporation Ltd.

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