As a surprise, approximately 9,000 workers of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received a salary of just INR 1 for March. They were particularly from the solid waste management (SWM) and conservancy divisions. The incident came to light after salary slips were handed out on March 31.
The issue happened because of the failure of these employees to link their Permanent Account Number (PAN) and Aadhaar cards by the deadline of March 31. The deadline has been mandated by the income tax department for everyone. This led to a drastic reduction in their monthly compensation.
Reportedly, the employees were not informed about linking the PAN and Aadhaar cards. Employees expressed their frustration with the BMC for not providing them with prior notice about the need to link the two cards. Employees have been trying to get the necessary paperwork.
Employees have shared their concerns regarding how they will manage the expenses. They now want the BMC to refund their salaries once the necessary documentation is provided. Many employees earn and spend for day-to-day requirements on a monthly basis.
As per HT, Vijay D. Sakpal, an employee from the solid waste management department, shared a list of 9,000 employees who received only INR 1. He pointed out that many of the workers were not educated enough to understand the need to link their PAN and Aadhaar cards.
It has been reported that the issue originated in the accounts department. The deadline for linking the Aadhaar and PAN cards was well-publicised through television and newspaper advertisements. According to the income tax rules, if the cards are not linked, the benefits of the PAN card cease, and a tax of 20% is deducted from the salaries annually. Hence, it will depend on the rules if the salaries will be refunded.
The finance department had already extended the deadline for linking the cards to June 2023. People were supposed to get their cards linked with Aadhar.
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