Delhi govt gives 'deserving' senior bureaucrats more perks

New Delhi, June 8 (UNI) As an incentive to 'deserving' senior bureaucrats in the national capital, Delhi government will reimburse part of their water and electricity bills and also give them a 'servant' allowance.

This was to ease the burden of every senior officers (Joint Secretary level and above) who were 'running offices' even at their homes, sources in Chief Minister's office said today.

The decision, which was taken by the Cabinet on May 23, could cost about Rs five crore to the state government.

The move came after similar allowances were granted to 'hard working' judicial officials and bureaucrats demanded parity.

That moved had imposed a burden of about ten crore on the state exchequer.

In November last year, after resolution was unanimously passed in the Delhi Assembly the Cabinet had approved an over 100 per cent increase in salaries of MLAs, bringing it almost at par with that of the Chief Minister's.

The salaries of MLAs, including ministers, were hiked from Rs 16,500 to 35,000 a month.

The move not only brought the MLA's salary at par with that of ministers, who used to get Rs 24,000 earlier, but also the Chief Minister, who got the same amount except Rs 2,000 more on account of sumptuary (regulating expenditutre) allowance.

MLAs cutting across party lines had been demanding increase in salary, saying their pay-that was equal to what a Grade I government officers got--should be made equal to if not more than what the Chief Secretary got.

The decision placed a burden of Rs 1.71 crore annually on the state government.

UNI IP HS RK1223