By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand’s finance department has stayed the decision by the governor’s advisory committee to hike the dearness allowance (DA) of government employees after the Election Commission raised objections to the move announced after model code of conduct came into operation.
The governor’s advisory committee had hiked the DA of state government employees by six percent after President Pratibha Patil issued the notification of the first phase of election. The issue was brought to the notice of the Election Commission by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last week.
Election Commissioner S.Y. Qureshi, who was in Ranchi Friday, said that the governor should not have taken such a decision without taking permission from the poll panel.
The election body said that it would seek clarification on the matter from the governor’s house.
The finance department stayed the DA hike decision Sunday night and the BJP has now demanded that Governor Syed Sibte Razi step down over the issue.
“A free and fair election is not possible under the present governor Syed Sibte Razi and he should be recalled by New Delhi,” state BJP president Raghubar Das told IANS.