No ELs for govt staffers this year 

BENGALURU: The cash-strapped State Government has decided to stop Earned Leaves (ELs) for government employees from this month. The order by the Under Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), stated that a government servant may surrender EL not exceeding 15 days out of the leave in his credit and receive the cash equivalent as salary. But as the State Government is facing a financial crisis, it is not able to pay EL equivalent to the employees. The facility will be cancelled for this year, starting from January 2021 to December 2021, it stated.

However, the rule is not applicable to employees retiring this year. “They can avail cash for their earned leaves,’’ the order said.Sriramulu to work from villages twice a monthSocial Welfare Minister B Sriramulu, along with his team of officials, will work from villages twice a month to hear the grievances of villagers and try to resolve them on the spot. He launched the initiative, “Our step towards village’’,  on Tuesday.

Releasing a New Year calendar, he said that senior officials from the department too will have to work from villages every month. First, the Scheduled Tribes Development Department Director will work from villages twice a month, and later it will be extended to all sections within the department.

He directed officials to visit tribal hamlets or villages where more number of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe people stay. “It will soon be made mandatory’’ he said. The government brings out many schemes for SC/STs, but they are successful only if they reach intended beneficiaries.