15 October,2024 08:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Pic/File
A few hours before the code of conduct for the Maharashtra Assembly election 2024 kicked in, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday announced a Rs 29,000 Diwali bonus for its employees, reported the PTI.
The country's richest civic body, with a budget of more than Rs 53,000 crore, is currently being run by a state-appointed administrator as civic elections are pending.
According to the PTI, the BMC has about 92,000 employees and officials on its payrolls. The ex-gratia this time is 11.53 per cent higher compared to the Rs 26,000 paid in 2023.
The official release said the announcement of Diwali bonus was made following a discussion between commissioner-administrator Bhushan Gagrani and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
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Besides civic employees, the teachers, professors and educational attendants at BMC schools and colleges, both grant recipient and non-grant ones, will also get the same amount of bonus, tan official statement said, as per the PTI.
Community Health Workers and 'Balwadi' or kindergarten teachers and helpers will get Rs 12,000 and Rs 5,000, respectively, as "Bhaubeej gift, it said, the news agency reported on Tuesday.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the entire schedule for the Maharashtra Assembly election 2024.
Addressing a press conference, the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the date of issue of Gazette notification is October 22.
The poll body said that the Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held in a single phase and voting will take place on November 20, while the counting will held three days later and the results will be announced on November 23.
The term of Maharashtra Assembly's will end on November 26.
The ECI said that the last date of submission of nomination forms will be on October 29 and the scrutiny will take place on October 30. The last date of the withdrawal of the candidatures will be November 11.
The key contenders in the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 are the ruling Mahayuti Alliance comprising the BJP, CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition which includes the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and The Congress.
(with PTI inputs)
