Chennai, Jul 28 (IANS): At a time when retired Chief Secretaries and Additional Chief Secretaries are drawing a monthly pension of about Rs 1.2 lakh per month and are also receiving retirement benefits, it is wrong in principle to take Rs 10,000 per month towards servant allowance, said a retired bureaucrat.
He was referring to Tamil Nadu government's recent order whereby retired Chief Secretaries and Additional Chief Secretaries can draw Rs 10,000 per month or Rs 1,20,000 per year as servant allowance.
"Chief Secretaries and Additional Chief Secretaries will be drawing a pension of about Rs 1.2 lakh per month. They would have also got a sizeable kitty as retirement benefits - provident fund, gratuity. By the time they retire they would have got their own home. Post retirement they may also be getting some consulting income," M.G. Devashayam, retired IAS officer and social activist told IANS.
He also pointed out that there are thousands of people without job security and assured monthly salary in the country.
"Already people do not have a good opinion about the bureaucracy. India is not a rich country," Devashayam added.
The ‘servant allowance' order was issued by Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam last month at a time the government is implementing several cost cutting measures including curtailing some employee benefits.
Shanmugam is set to retire in couple of months time after his extension.
"While the number of retired Chief Secretaries may be small whereas the number of retired Additional Chief Secretaries will be high," Devashayam pointed out.
The government order also mentions the names of several retired IAS officers who had sent a letter in this regard.
According to the order, former President of Tamil Nadu IAS Officers Association and other retired Additional Chief Secretaries had requested the state government to extend the post-retirement benefits to them which have been extended by neighbouring states like Karnataka.
The government order citing the similar arrangements made for retired judges of the Madras High Court has decided to permit retired Chief Secretaries and Additional Chief Secretaries to appoint one ‘Nominal Muster Roll' at wages of Rs 10,000.
This is in addition to the telephone and medical reimbursement allowances. When contacted for reaction, senior retired IAS officials declined to comment.