MP: 3.87% increase in honorarium of contract workers, 2.5 lakh officers and employees will get benefit

Bhopal, July 24 (HS). The honorarium of about 2.5 lakh contract officers and employees of Madhya Pradesh will increase from Rs 700 to Rs 2,500 from April 1, 2024. On the basis of consumer price index, the government has decided to give annual increase to contract employees at the rate of 3.85 percent. Provision has also been made in the budget for this. There is a provision to give annual salary increase to contract employees on the basis of consumer price index instead of dearness allowance.

Giving information on Wednesday, State President of Madhya Pradesh Contract Employee-Officer Federation, Ramesh Rathore said that the Finance Department has issued a contract policy in the year 2023, in which it has been decided that the inflation rate (Consumer Price Index) of contract officers-employees will be increased every year on April 1. He said that the Government of India has issued the Consumer Price Index, but the state government has increased the honorarium of these employees by 3.87 percent, due to which their remuneration will see a benefit of Rs 785 to Rs 2535 per month. The order will be considered effective from April 1, 2024. At present, it has not been mentioned in the order whether the arrears of three months will be given or not.

Actually, the government did not release the CPI index rate in April, but when the federation submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Finance Minister, Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary of Finance and General Administration Department and warned of agitation, then the Finance Department issued this order. This will benefit the contract employees, but not as much as the contract employees of other states will get.

However, the Contract Employee-Officer Federation has objected to this CPI index rate. The state president of the Federation, Ramesh Rathore, said that the Government of India has released a CPI index of 5.39 percent, the same should have been released here as well. Also, a three percent increment should have been given like regular employees. We will give a memorandum to the Chief Secretary and say that contract employees are not laborers, for whom the CPI index is being given. This should be abolished and dearness allowance should be given as before.