Govt allows merger of DA with basic pay for NTC employees

New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) The Government today allowed the merger of 50 per cent DA with basic pay from April 1, 2004 to the CDA employees in Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs).

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Textiles E V K S Elangovan made it clear that, however, as per Department of Public Enterprises order dated May 24, 2005, such merger shall be allowed to employees of those PSUs that are not loss making and are in a position to absorb the additional expenditure on account of merger with basic pay from their own resources without any budgetary support from the Government.

Accordingly, the Board of Directors decided to implement these orders from October 1, 2006 only, after reviewing the perfomance of the company for the year 2005-06.

On increase in textile units under integrated textile parks, the Minister said the target under the scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) during the 10th Five Year Plan has been increased to 30 Textile Parks.

Under the SITP, so far, 26 projects have been sanctioned -- nine in 2005-06 and 17 in 2006-07. State-wise break is: Gujarat and Maharashtra six each, Tamil Nadu (five), Andhra Pradesh (four), Rajasthan (two), Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal (one each).

Estimated project cost of these 26 parks (common infrastructure / facilities) is Rs 2,433.35 crore, of which the Centre's support would be Rs 869 crore. So far, Rs 73.56 crore has been released to 22 Textile Parks.

Regarding handloom clusters in Maharashtra, Mr Elangovan said that the Integrated Handloom Cluster Development Scheme has been introduced during the year 2005-06. Twenty clusters were selected during the year 2005-06 by the Government in different states for their holistic development.

Further, additional 100 Clusters in different parts of the country have been selected in 2006-07 in consultation with the state Government and Weavers' Service Centre concerned.

This includes three clusters in Maharashtra -- Yeola in Nasik district, Mohadi in Bhandara district and Kamptee in Nagpur district, he added.

UNI