Disaster Mgmt Officers in Maharashtra await salaries for six months

20-09-13

Disaster Mgmt Officers in State

without salary since six months!

* The proposal has been cleared by Chief Secretary but is awaiting final approval from the Government

Staff Reporter
They are supposed to respond to disaster situations and furnish the information in time to the Government for better management. However, it appears that the Government wants them to do the work daily without salary. Sounds strange, but it is true. The District Disaster Management Officers (DDMOs) across the State have not received their salary since six months.
The DDMOs were appointed in Maharashtra under an UNDP-sponsored project on disaster mitigation. The project was being implemented in Maharashtra since 2005. However, in 2010, the State Government decided to implement it on its own. Under the Maharashtra Disaster Risk Mitigation (MDRM) Project, the Government appointed one DDMO for each of 35 districts in the State. Besides, it appointed one Disaster Management Officer at each of the six divisional headquarters. One more officer was appointed for Mumbai. Thus, in all, there were 42 DDMOs appointed throughout the State on contractual basis.
Sources said that despite expiry of their contract period, these officers were asked to discharge their duties. The MDRM Project period came to an end in 2012. Still, these officers were working at district and division levels and Mumbai. They are still working. However, since six months, they have not got their salary. They used to get Rs 22,000 per month consolidated salary, said sources. According to sources, the salary issue was addressed at the level of Chief Secretary but due to some administrative goof-up, the file was referred to the Chief Minister’s office where it was pending for approval.
I A Kundan, Secretary and Director of Disaster Management Cell, Maharashtra Government, told ‘The Hitavada’ that the issue was at the Government level. “We are completing the formalities required for approval. The Government will take a decision in this regard,” she said. She confirmed that the Chief Secretary had cleared the file. According to Kundan, the policy to appoint DDMOs was prepared some years back and the appointments were made under MDRM Project. “The posts are temporary in nature and the Government grants extension on expiry of one term,” she added.