Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has initiated steps to cut down the benefits of employees as part of the austerity drive.
A committee constituted to carry out a study on cost-cutting, in its interim report to the government has recommended that the leave surrender benefits should be stopped.
Instead of allowing leave surrender every year, employees will be allowed to accumulate up to 300 leaves during their service and this can be encashed at the time of retirement, said the interim report submitted by CDS director professor Sunil Mani.
Though the committee has also recommended increasing the retirement age to 58, the government is unlikely to approve it.
Also, suggestions were made during the committee meetings to cut down the number of the personal staff of ministers. However, it does not find a mention in the report. This recommendation was reportedly removed after the government intervened, according to sources.
Currently, there are 480 personal staff for 20 ministers in the state. The government spends over Rs 2 crore for their salaries every month.
Main recommendations
• No new posts in government and aided institutions for two years. Temporary posts are also not currently allowed.
• No leave salary for daily-wage workers at schools. Put an end to leave a vacancy in the aided sector.
• Foreign trips, fairs, exhibitions should not be held now.
• Staff deployment should be reviewed as offices have been computerised.
• Leave without pay to be restricted to a maximum of five years.
• Government offices need to function only for five days in a week. Work-from-home option for Saturdays.
• No purchase of vehicles, furniture for a year.
• Avoid publishing brochures and other publications.
• 30 per cent of the students' marks should be based on online studies. Scholarships for students should be in accordance with the Centre's criteria.
• Tenure of probe commissions that have been functioning for more than two years should be ended in two months.
• Public sector units engaged in similar work should be merged.
• New teaching posts should be created in aided and government colleges only if there is a minimum workload of 16 hours in a week.
