A review of specialized allowances paid to government employees by the Finance Ministry of India has led to the abolishment of one remnant from a time of plague. The 7th Pay Commission, a high-level panel, announced this week, that they would no longer provide 100 rupees a month for a hut allowance. As reported in The Economic Times,
Hutting allowance. This one continues from the times when plague used to be a big public calamity. It is granted to railway employees living outside railway premises who for the outbreak of plague in epidemic forms, are compelled to vacate their houses and to erect temporary huts on railway land or elsewhere. If you can't believe it, read on. The rate of the allowance is a meagre Rs 100 per month? Supposing the plague remains a threat, can one build a hut and maintain it with Rs 100 a month? No wonder, the pay panel abolished it.
A 100 rupees converts to $1.55 today, which despite a weaker dollar, this does seem inadequate, although I cannot say I know what is entailed with hut maintenance.
I am sure India has a better plan for a plague epidemic, now.
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