Ahead of Chhattisgarh elections, CM Baghel scraps stipend for govt staffers

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced scrapping of stipend under which government staffers appointed through the direct recruitment process were getting full salaries after fourth year of employment

The Chhattisgarh government has scrapped the provision of stipend under which government staffers appointed through the direct recruitment process were receiving full salaries after the fourth year of employment.

The move is set to benefit 38,000 government employees.

During the Rajiv Yuva Mitaan Sammelan on Saturday, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the stipend provision would end, and the state cabinet later in the evening approved a decision in this regard.

Under the previous rule, government officials and employees appointed through the direct recruitment process were getting stipends of 70 per cent, 80 per cent, and 90 per cent of the basic pay scale consecutively in the first, second, and third years of probation. They were only eligible for full salaries from the fourth year of appointment.

The state government amended the recruitment rule in July 2020 and said that more financial resources are needed to contain the pandemic and to reduce salary costs in future appointments. Following this, the government increased the probation period of employees from two years to three and decided to pay them full salaries from the fourth year.

Amit Shah accuses CM Baghel of "mass conversion"

During his two-day visit to Chhattisgarh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday released a "black paper" of 69 allegations against the Bhupesh Baghel government.

He said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would "hang the corrupt upside down to straighten them out" if voted into government.

Shah called the Congress government a "government of scams, scandals, atrocities and breach of promise". He then added that the Congress government is hindering the implementation of the anti-conversion law, which has led to "mass conversions".

Padma Shri recipient Usha Barle joins BJP

Padma Shri recipient and singer Usha Barle joined the Chhattisgarh state unit of BJP.

Barle joined the party in the presence of Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, senior party leader Saroj Pandey, and Vijay Baghel.

Following her joining, Usha Barle said, "I have been thinking of joining the BJP for quite some time. Earlier, I was engaged in the election campaign of former Chief Minister Raman Singh, former Minister Brijmohan Agrawal, and others."