Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ajay Maken, on Sunday said the Congress party will strongly oppose if the 125 percent increase in DA (Dearness Allowance), which will be due on 1 January, 2016, is not merged with the basic pay when the Central government implements the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for Government employees.
Maken said while the 7th Pay Commission has increased the salaries of higher grade officers by many folds, there will be no benefit for middle and lower level employees.
Maken said injustice was being done to the Central government employees, and the Congress will fight safeguard their interest. He said the Union government should protect the interests of the country and its people. "The Congress party is with the Government employees in this matter", Maken asserted.
Addressing two meetings to discuss the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission at Sadiq Nagar and R K Puram today, Maken said the Congress party will spare no effort to protect the interests of the Government employees, who are its "eyes, ears and brains", inside and outside Parliament.
He said it was necessary to give a good deal to the Government employees to attract the best brains to Government service, as the government needs the services of the brightest, who come through tough competitions, for the best interest of the nation.
He said it was necessary to have the best brains in the government to ensure that in these days of globalisation, the multi-national companies do not push their way in and put such clauses, conditions and demands that would be detrimental to the interest of the nation and its people.
Meanwhile, reiterating his party's commitment to a strong Lokpal, Maken extended support to the move to bring DDA and Delhi Police, which are controlled by the Centre, under the purview of Delhi Lokayukta.
“As long as this applies to public functionaries of departments of Delhi government, DDA, MCD, NDMC, Delhi Police, and the Members of Parliament from Delhi and Union and state ministers from Delhi pertaining to their actions concerning people of Delhi, this provision in my opinion should be allowed,” Maken said.
The Congress leader, however, clarified that in the absence of any officially circulated draft, he would like to reserve his final comments on procedure and on other aspects of the Bill, till it is tabled in the Assembly on Monday.
The draft Janlokpal Bill, approved by the Delhi Cabinet, mandates the Lokayukta to look into complaints of corruption in MCD, DDA and Delhi Police.
This move has drawn flak from various quarters, including former AAP leader Prashant Bhushan who said it has been done to “provoke” the Centre.
Maken said his party had earlier also stated that under no circumstances it would support the dilution of the Janlokpal Bill as introduced by the AAP Government on February 13, 2014, in Delhi Assembly.
“Delhi Lokayukta should be allowed to look into acts of corruption directly impacting people of Delhi through the actions of MCD, DDA and Delhi Police also. The Congress party would again like to re-iterate its commitment for a strong Lokpal in Delhi,” he said.
“We believe in action and not just rhetoric. Delhi Government has wasted precious 10 months and we hope it would now fulfil its very important pre-poll promise by enacting a strong Jan Lokpal,” Maken said in a press statement.
