Panchayat staff overburdened with work, say unions

Unions of panchayat employees have come out against burdening the panchayat staff with additional work including the conduct of field inquiry and scrutinising applications of beneficiaries of LIFE Mis

Unions of panchayat employees have come out against burdening the panchayat staff with additional work including the conduct of field inquiry and scrutinising applications of beneficiaries of LIFE Mission projects.

In a representation given to the State government, the Kerala Panchayat Employees Federation pointed out that the government decision to utilise the service of panchayat staff already overburdened with various other duties, including COVID-related ones, for the LIFE Mission was unjustifiable.

The Federation has urged the government to either deploy employees from other departments such as revenue or entrust the job relating to the processing of applications with other agencies as was being done for the census. In fact, though the government had instructed panchayats to engage component institutions allotted under them for the works of LIFE Mission, the institutions are refusing to do the job, citing their heavy workload.