Incentive to govt officers in naxal-hit areas collosal waste

State government spends nearly Rs216 crore annually towards incentive given to 60,000 employees in 23 tehsils that are notified as naxal-affected since 2002.

The employees have been enjoying this allowance for more than 8 years though only 20 % of them stay in the tehsils that they are supposed to. The activists working in the area have raised questions over the funds expended and demanded that the funds be utilised to develop the area.

To attract the government employees to serve in the naxal hit areas, the state had issued a resolution in 2002 giving out incentive allowance that ranges between Rs2500 to Rs6000.

The allowance was to ensure that the employees reside in the tehsil that they are appointed to but activists claimed that the government mechanism has failed to keep check on errant employees and hence the funds spent on them were a waste.

“The State has paid nearly Rs1600 crore towards the allowance in last 8 years, but the purpose is far from achieved. Government has not taken any action against the employees nor has it succeeded in bringing any development to area,” said Suresh Padmashali, a local activist and veteran journalist from Gadchiroli.

Aniket Amte, grandson of the noted social activist late Baba Amte and head of the educational institution run by Lok Biradari at Hemalkasa in Gadchiroli said that both  educational and health services, said, “The teachers and health officers do not bother to attend to their duties regularly leaving patients in helpless conditions.”

Padmashali said that government should appoint youths from the naxal affected areas and make them serve there.

State home minister and guardian minister of Gadchiroli, RR Patil, said that the allowance cannot be termed as waste. “People hesitate to work in the naxal hit areas, but we hope this will change. Hence, the money spent is not a waste,” he added.

He said that a Supreme Court order doesn’t allow the government to reserve positions for a certain area.