STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The state government has been losing revenue to the tune of around Rs 27 crore per annum since 2017 due to either short-deduction or non-deduction of monthly house rent from the salaries of government employees who are staying in government quarters.
Based on the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission, Assam's Finance Department had issued an order in April, 2017 for deduction of 10 per cent of basic pay per month from the salaries of government employees staying in government accommodation. Prior to this order, the house rent deduction in case of government employees had been fixed at various lump-sum categories with an upper ceiling of Rs 700 and Rs 1,000.
As per official records, around 30,000 employees were staying in government accommodation as of 2020. According to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in the case of some employees, monthly house rent of Rs 1,590 ought to have been deducted on the basis of 10 per cent of basic pay. However, house rent of only Rs 1,000 per month had been deducted from such employees. On the other hand, fixed amounts ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 700 were being deducted from some other employees with no reference to their respective basic pay.
The CAG also found that 993 police personnel under the Home Department were residing in government quarters as of March, 2022 without paying any house rent at all.
The CAG has recommended that the government should take immediate action to ensure deduction of the due house rent from the employees staying in government accommodation and also recover the outstanding dues from them at the earliest.
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