Software glitch keeps civic staff salaries pending

Tirupati: Technical glitches in the Centralised Funds Management System (CFMS) is creating hurdles for the staff of the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) to clear salaries for outsourcing employees and payments to contractors.

It is learnt that the signatures of key civic officials concerned were not included in the CFMS software. As a result, the AP Treasury department had stopped Rs 9 crore payments including three-month salaries of outsourcing staff. 

Few days ago, the outsourcing staff had received the salary of for the month of February. According to sources, Rs 3 crore salary amount for 600 outsourcing staff were pending with the Treasury department.

Even, Rs 6 crore payments for 60 municipal contractors were yet to be cleared since December 2017. With the bills in pending, the contractors are not showing interest to take up the civil works like construction of drains, laying roads and other developmental works.

Three days ago, municipal contractors had met the MCT Commissioner Vijay Rama Raju and brought their issue to his notice and informed him that they will not be able to take up works as bills were pending. Municipal Contractors Association leader M Gangadhar said that they had submitted a memorandum twice to the previous Corporation Commissioner. But, the issue was not resolved, he criticised. 

He blamed negligent attitude of few municipal officials as they failed to make corrections in the CFMS software in Vijayawada. Vijay Rama Raju had assured the contractors for sorting out the glitches in the software.   

Meanwhile, the MCT outsourcing workers have decided to go on strike from June 4 if the pending salaries were not paid. Responding on the issue, MCT Health Officer Dr Ushakumari said salaries were cleared up to February and the present Commissioner is trying to pay the pending salaries.