Date:09/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/09/stories/2008080959700600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Pay hike for NREGP field staff

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Salaries have been hiked to four categories of employees working in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP).

Among them, field assistants, whose salary has been increased to Rs, 2,200 a month from Rs. 1,200, will, however, get their increased pay from August.

Details

Details of the hikes for the other three categories—computer operators, technical assistants and additional programme officers—will be announced next month by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy after finalising a human resources policy for the NREGP, covering job security, pay hike, annual increments, leave facility, life insurance and health insurance.

Rural Development Minister G. Chinna Reddy told reporters after discussions with the Chief Minister here on Friday that the increase in salaries to field assistants were applicable in all the districts.

The Minister said the NREGP was introduced by a Parliament Act and as such, the employees would continue in their jobs till the Act itself was scrapped, an impossibility.