Thiruvananthpuram: Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal spoke out regarding the ongoing issues with government salaries. He revealed that full salaries for government employees won’t be disbursed at once, and even with the distribution starting today, the crisis won’t immediately resolve. To manage the situation, a limit will be placed on the amount of salary withdrawal, with the maximum limit set at Rs 50,000.
Balagopal said that efforts are underway to impose control on the Treasury and resolve the crisis within two days. He emphasised that there is no cause for alarm, assuring that salary and pension disbursements will continue. The minister attributed the issue to technical issues with the Employee Treasury Savings Bank (ETSB) accounts. Additionally, he did not forget to repeat the constant refrain that the crisis arose because of the central government, which withheld funds amounting to Rs 13,608 crore owed to Kerala.
Meanwhile, the Secretariat Action Council has declared that their strike will persist until all employees receive their dues. However, releasing the withheld funds could lead to an overdraft crisis within the government treasury, raising suspicions that the salary freeze is a strategic move to address this underlying financial challenge.
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