Coronavirus crisis: Uttarakhand govt freezes new recruitment, no increment for employees

Dehradun, June 11: The Uttarakhand government has announced a slew of cost-cutting measures, including stopping increment to employees and fresh recruitments in all departments except health and police, to offset losses caused by the lockdown and the battle against COVID-19.

According to media reports, an order issued by Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh late on Wednesday night said that the employees will not be given increment during the ongoing fiscal and there would be a moratorium on fresh recruitments in all departments barring health and police.

As the digital system has cut down the work load across government departments, posts which are not required should be cancelled and those occupying them should be moved to other departments, it said.

The order asks all departments to reduce expenses on stationery, travel and furniture besides imposing restrictions on publicity, advertising and foreign trips.

Expenses on buying calendars, diaries and greeting cards should be stopped, the order further added. Promotions which entail a hike in salary will also not be allowed during the current financial year, it said.

Purchase of vehicles by departments except when necessary for security purposes will also not be allowed.

Workshops, seminars and training programmes will be held in government buildings, not in hotels, it said.