Centre doles out post-Diwali relief to employees of some sick Central PSUs

IT'S a big relief for employees of some of the big PSUs after the Central government decided to give a booster dose of over Rs 72 cr towards statutory dues, salary and wages. Those PSUs which were benefitted from the government dole out included Hindustan Cables, HMT, HMT (Watches), HMT (CW), Hindustan Photo Films, Triveni Structurals, Tungbhadra Steel Products, Nepa, Scoters India and HMT Bearings. The employees of these organisations including officials were not regularly paid salaries and other benefits.

In fact, in a belated Diwali bonanza, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, on Thursday approved non-plan budgetary support to Rs 72.62 cr towards statutory dues, salary and wages from April 1 to June 30, 2009, for these Central PSUs. Hindustan Cables with Rs 20.66 cr got the lion's share of the Centre's largess. The Centre's intervention is likely to mitigate the hardship of the employees and help these organisations making an effort to rebuild.

Action & Appointments

a) V S Oberoi, a 1979 batch Assam cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as Permanent Representative of India (joint secretary level) at UNESCO in Paris under the department of higher education for a period of three years.

b) Pramode Kumar Mishra, a 1984 batch IA&AS has been appointed as additional financial advisor (joint secretary level) in the ministry of defence for 5 years.

c) Alok Nigam, a 1986 batch Haryana cadre IAS, has been appointed as joint secretary in the department of financial services under the ministry of finance.

d) The proposal of inter-cadre transfer of Ms Shuchi Tyagi, a 2007 batch Jharkhand cadre IAS from Jharkhand to Rajasthan cadre, has been approved.

e) Ashok Kumar Sharma, a 1981 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has been appointed as senior directing staff (FS) in the national defence college under the ministry of defence for three years.

f) The appointments committee of cabinet has approved the premature repatriation of Ms Vijaya Moorthy, a 1978 batch IA&AS, the joint secretary in the National Commission for Women to her parent cadre, i. e, the office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India. She would be eligible to be considered for her next Central deputation after completion of prescribed cooling off to be reckoned from the date of expiry of the present approved tenure as joint secretary in the ministry of women and child development, i.e, May 28, 2012.