COIMBATORE: Employees of Bharathiar University working on consolidated pay have urged the administration to provide Special Temporary Allowance (STA) of Rs 1,000 for the Pongal festival at least this year.
They pointed out that the administration had given this amount to employees during the 2023-24 academic year, but the officials stopped it from 2025 onwards.
An employee, P Vimal (name changed), of the university told TNIE that the State government provides the STA amount to employees on consolidated pay every Pongal festival.
He added that, as per norms, employees who have worked full-time or part-time for at least 240 days in a financial year are eligible to receive the STA of Rs 1,000 for the Pongal festival.
He also said officials of the Finance Department in university refused to provide the amount last year, citing the break-in service for five days once in six months.
He pointed out that the government order clearly states that employees who work for 240 days in a year are eligible to receive this amount.
Around 400 employees did not receive the amount last year due to this reason and they have urged the university to provide it at least this year.
M Rameshkumar, president-cum-general secretary of the Bharathiar University Employees Welfare Association, told TNIE that last year the district collector released the revised minimum daily wages for employees for the current financial year, but the university is yet to implement them.
He said that, as per the revised wages, the university has to increase the pay by Rs 13 to Rs 48 for employees depending on their category, and he urged the officials to consider this as well.
When asked about it, a senior official of the university told TNIE that steps have been taken to release the Pongal amount and revise the wages for the employees soon.
