Arunachal Pradesh orders release of wages for 4,745 excess employees

The Arunachal Pradesh government has ordered the immediate release of monthly wages to 4,745 excess casual, contingency and work-charged employees as interim relief, following the findings of an inquiry into unauthorised appointments across various departments.

According to an official notification, the decision was taken after a committee headed by the Principal Secretary of the Public Works Department identified 4,745 personnel engaged beyond the sanctioned workforce strength.

The inquiry found that the excess workforce comprised 4,427 casual and contingency workers and 318 work-charged employees. The report noted that the appointments had been made without adherence to established procedures and were not linked to government-sanctioned posts.

The affected employees had not been receiving wages since February 24, when the government imposed a freeze on payments pending the outcome of the inquiry.

Officials said the government decided to resume salary payments on compassionate grounds while it continues to examine the committee's findings and formulate a long-term policy response.

The state government is also considering recommendations aimed at preventing future irregular appointments. These include enforcing a strict division-wise and Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO)-wise allocation of posts and restricting the transfer of personnel between zones, circles and divisions.

The notification stated that district treasuries and sub-treasuries would release funds only after receiving a jointly signed notification specifying the formal distribution of posts. The verification process must be endorsed by both the concerned head of department and head of office.

The government said consultations among departments are under way to determine further action on the issue highlighted by the inquiry report.