Green channel to ensure timely salaries for over 92,000 Panchayat Raj & Rural Development department staffers

Over 92,000 employees working on a contract and outsourcing basis for the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department, including those under the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), will receive their wages/salaries through the Green Channel, similar to regular government employees, starting May this year. This follows the Finance Department’s reported nod to the proposal, which involves a monthly allocation of over ₹115 crore to pay salaries to these employees.

According to official sources, various categories of employees will benefit, including multi-purpose workers, computer operators at gram panchayats and MPDO offices, contract and outsourcing panchayat secretaries, junior panchayat secretaries, and SERP employees. These employees will receive their payments at a fixed time every month.

In the absence green channel, the employees have been facing significant hardships due to delayed salary payments, sometimes extending up to three to four months.

“Due to these inordinate delays, employees are facing substantial financial problems. No attempt was made to address this issue during the previous government,” said an employee.

The majority of beneficiaries are multi-purpose workers, numbering 52,473, followed by 22,011 SERP employees.

Considering the plight of these employees, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) played a vital role in convincing Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to ensure timely payments to these employees, aligning with the payments of regular government employees.

In January, the Chief Minister directed officials to implement monthly wages/salary payments for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development employees. A new online system has been established to facilitate simultaneous payments, with attendance taken online on the 25th of every month and bills generated on the 26th.

Director, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development G. Srijana said that they had already collected the necessary data and developed a system to ensure monthly payments, similar to regular employees. “Once the Finance Department approves the file, these employees will receive their salaries through the new system,“ she added.