NEW DELHI, May 29: The Indian Administrative Service lobby has suffered a setback with the Empowered Committee of Secretaries having ``killed'' a recommendation for a monthly telephone attendant allowance of Rs 1,500 for them.

However, Central Government employees are feeling relieved since the Committee, which is reviewing recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission, has decided ``not to return to a six-day-a-week working schedule''.

The Committee felt the Pay Commission's recommendation for the telephone attendant allowance was ``a luxury that the Government cannot afford''.

Justifying Commission member Suresh Tendulkar's dissent on this issue, the Committee has observed that such an allowance for the IAS was out of question as it would widen the gap between non-IAS officials and the IAS The three-member Commission had recommended that all officials of and above the rank of Deputy Secretary and of an equivalent designation should be provided with a telephone attendant at their residences. ``The attendant would be recruited directly by the officer and would not enjoy the status of a government employee, but a fixed salary of Rs 1,500 per month for such attendants would be borne by the Government. This facility will not be additionally available to officers who are already entitled to personal attendants by whatever name they may be called,'' said the Commission report.

A member, Suresh Tendulkar, had later refrained from endorsing this recommendation. In his letter of dissent, he stated: ``This is an unfortunate suggestion for the Central Government to subsidise full-time domestic servant for officers who are currently not entitled to orderlies and batmen. Propriety impels me to refrain from any further comment. I simply cannot support it. Stronger case exists for a phased withdrawal of this facility wherever it is currently exploited officially or otherwise.''

The Committee, which is set to submit its report to the group of ministers next week, has also rejected another Commission recommendation to shift from a five-day week to a six-day week, with the second Saturday of a month being an off day. The Committee, sources said, agreed with the Department of Personnel that the present working schedule was by no means affecting administrative efficiency.

The Personnel Department, in its representation, had also argued that an increase of 40 working days in a year would also mean an increase in Government expenditure.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.