The empowered committee set up under the chairmanship of the Department of Public Enterprises agreed on Wednesday to increase the shortage allowance for highway employees by 11 percent.

Previously, highway employees received a 17 percent cost subsidy. (Representative photo)

By Abhishek Mishra: In what may provide relief to 16,000 employees of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, the empowered committee formed under the chairmanship of the Department of Public Enterprises on Wednesday agreed to increase the employees’ shortage allowance by 11 percent hundred. Now, highway employees will receive 28 percent of their base salary as dearth allowance.

The increase in the dearth allowance is effective from January 2023 and both employees and officers of the highway utility company will receive the three months increased dearth allowance in their next salaries.

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Speaking to India Today, Girish Chandra Mishra, general secretary of the Joint Council of Road Employees, said that until now, employees received 17 per cent living allowance.

“The Council made a demand to give 38 percent shortage allowance to the employees. The committee approved the proposal to increase the shortage allowance by 11 percent,” Mishra said.

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The current increase will now help employees get a hardship allowance of Rs 8,000 from the Rs 2,500 they previously received.

Welcoming the move, UP Roadways Employees Union Chairman Rakesh Singh said they met with state transport minister Daya Shankar Singh with several demands, one of which was to increase the lean allowance. “The union is happy that our demand to increase the shortage allowance has been met,” he said.