Lucknow, February 27 – The Yogi Adityanath government on Friday issued instructions to disburse salaries and pensions for the month of February before the Holi festival, bringing joy and smiles to the faces of approximately 18 lakh employees and pensioners.
This decision will benefit numerous state government employees working in various departments, including education, civic bodies, and various ministries.
According to official instructions, the salary cycle has been revised in light of consecutive holidays related to Holi, which fall in the first week of March.
March 1 is a Sunday, a weekly holiday, while March 2 and 4 have been declared holidays for 'Holika Dahan' and the festival of colours, respectively.
To avoid inconvenience and delays in salaries due to Holi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed the concerned departments to expedite the salary disbursement process.
To facilitate smooth salary disbursement, Saturday, February 28, has been designated as a working day.
"Ensure that all employees' salaries are paid before Holi. Ensure that all employees, including outsourcing/contractual employees/sanitation workers, are paid before Holi," the clear instructions from Chief Minister Yogi to the officials state.
The department has also been directed to avoid any negligence.
Salaries are likely to be credited into the accounts of employees and pensioners on February 28. The officials have been directed that the salaries and pensions are processed by the treasury department on time, without fail.
Currently, Uttar Pradesh has approximately 18 lakh government employees and 12 lakh pensioners, bringing the total figure to 28 lakh.
This move is seen as a major administrative decision to boost the festive spirit of government employees while ensuring that the larger message of public welfare is delivered.
Usually, the government pays the salaries and remunerations for the current month in the next month, but this marks a new trend, signaling a new measure at bolstering public welfare.
Officials said that the decision was taken to ensure that employees have enough funds to meet their respective festive expenses and their festivities don't get hampered by delayed payments.