PM allocates Tk 25 crore for municipality staff

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday approved an allocation of Taka 25 crore for paying salary and allowances of the officials and employees of the municipalities across the country.

“The Prime Minister allocated the money from her relief and welfare fund this morning,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS.

As many as 12,000 permanent officials and employees of 328 pourasabhas and their 20,000 cleaners, who were recruited through outsourcing, will be brought under the facilities.

General holidays are going on in the government and private organizations since March 26 in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Despite the limited resources, these municipalities are continuing providing various services to the people by facing different challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides, they are working to control dengue menace alongside preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

It was known that the salary and allowances of the staff of the most of the municipalities were pending as realizing revenue by the authorities was not at the satisfactory level.

Moreover, realizing revenue against holding tax, trade license, leasing of haats-bazaars and rent of the shops was stopped for nearly two months due to the pandemic.

The municipality authorities are now facing difficulties to pay salary and allowances to their staff as their expenditure has increased significantly due to providing emergency services.

As a result, the staffs are passing an inhuman life for the last two months as they are not getting their salary and allowances.

When the issue came to the notice of the Prime Minister, she allocated Taka 25 crore for them, the press secretary said.

Source: BSS

AH