M A I N   N E W S

Himachal restores LTC for staff within state
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 3
The Himachal Pradesh Government today decided to restore the leave travel concession (LTC) facility for its employees within the state.

This was announced by the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, while addressing the meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee here. He said the government would consider extending the facility all over the country in the near future keeping in view the resources of the state.

He also announced to enhance the quota of Class IV employees for promotion to Class III posts from the existing 10 to 15 per cent. He advised the Class IV employees to improve their qualification and professional skills. He also assured that appointments on compassionate grounds would be made in a time-bound manner and said that the government would see to it that such families did not suffer on this account. He also announced that vacancies in public utility departments would be filled on the priority basis.

The Chief Minister said the government was keen to frame a realistic transfer policy for employees. A committee had already been set up under the chairmanship of the Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Kaul Singh, for the purpose.

Expressing concern over the politicisation of services and growing indiscipline he said the conduct rules barred employees from indulging in political activities and it also affected efficiency. The employees had every right to raise their demands but they should not indulge in politics.

He said his government believed in maintaining cordial relations with the employees and it had always accepted their genuine demands. He said during his previous tenure he had granted benefits to the tune of Rs 800 crore to the employees.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said the government would undertake computerisation of various departments in a phased manner. He said administrative reforms were the need of the hour in the globalised economic environment in which only the efficient could survive. The government would take employees unions into confidence while taking any step in this direction.

Later at the meeting presided over by Mr Arvind Kaul, Chief Secretary, a 73-point agenda concerning the demands of the employees was discussed threadbare. Mr Kaul directed all secretaries to look into the issue related to their respective departments.

Mr L.S.Machhan, president of the federation, appreciated the sympathetic attitude of the Chief Minister towards the employees, which would go a long way in maintaining cordial relations with the government.