Cash-starved civic bodies await 'transfer duty share' to disburse salaries

PUDUCHERRY: Though the pandemic-triggered lockdown has affected everyone, for some the crisis has dealt a severe blow. The salaries of sanitation workers here have been pending for a period ranging from one to four months. Still they arrive on the streets every morning to keep the union territory clean knowing fully well what the world is combating against.    

Not just sanitation workers, other employees of several municipalities and commune panchayats have also not received their salaries. Sources say, the local bodies are awaiting the release of 'transfer duty share' from the Registration Department to disburse salaries. The amounts from transfer duty and stamp duty collected by the Registration department is usually shared equally with the respective local body.

While for Puducherry Municipality employees the pay is pending for one month, for commune panchayats of Nettapakkam and Mannadipet, it is pending for two months. "Commune panchayats in TR Pattinam and Thirunallar have to pay three months' pay, while Karaikal Municipality and Nedungadu commune panchayat are yet to disburse four months' salaries to their staff," President of State Municipalities and Commune Panchayat Association P Anandaganapathy said.

Five years ago, the Puducherry government stopped providing grants to local bodies and they were left to fend for themselves. Due to the lockdown, the local bodies now also don't receive revenue from issuing trade licence, property tax and other taxes, Puducherry Municipal Commissioner S Sivakumar said.

From January this year, the 'transfer duty share' has also not been remitted to local bodies. Puducherry municipality alone has a due of around Rs 2.6 crore, while it requires Rs 3.5 crore for paying salaries and pension, said Anandaganapathy.

Only some local bodies like Oulgaret municipality and Villianur commune panchayat have managed to pay salaries as they have a lot of industries in their limits, Anandaganapathy added.