Meherpur municipality clears February pay, Eid bonus

Meherpur municipality has paid the February salaries and Eid-ul-Fitr bonuses of its officials and employees, bringing rare relief to staff long affected by chronic arrears.

Those working at the municipality said they were pleased to receive their salaries and bonuses on time. For years, many had gone months without pay and allowances, making daily life difficult. Regular payment of salaries and benefits is now being seen by many as a major milestone in the municipality's history.

According to municipality sources, the authorities paid the salaries and bonuses on 25 February to 80 officials and employees, 46 contractual staff and 108 cleaners. However, arrears of salaries, allowances and gratuity funds for the previous 27 months are still outstanding, although some employees are receiving dues in phases.

The municipality said it is paying both current salaries and arrears depending on its income.

According to the chief executive officer's office, Tk40.78 lakh was paid as February salaries, Tk19.54 lakh as bonuses and Tk3.81 lakh as daily wages for contractual staff. At the same time, Tk52.05 lakh in salary, bonus and provident fund payments was disbursed to 19 retired employees during the tenure of the current administrator.

Municipality sources said cleaners previously received their daily wages in cash, but payments are now being made to their individual bank accounts to ensure greater financial transparency.

Sanowar Hossain, upper division assistant and general secretary of the municipal officers and employees' association, said receiving the previous month's salary before the 1st of the next month was a matter of good fortune. He said employees were happy to be able to support their families and hoped timely payment would continue.

Arzia Khatun, a licence inspector at the municipality, said she had received her monthly salary regularly and had also received several months' arrears after applying to the administrator due to financial hardship.

Municipality sources said the financial condition of the civic body had improved since the appointment of the administrator, with both revenue and financial transparency increasing. This, they said, had made it easier to carry out development work on a priority basis.

The municipality also said lease activities had been strengthened in line with government market leasing policies, while efforts to recover outstanding dues had been intensified. A lease for the municipal dumping station has been completed to improve waste management, while the municipal pond was leased out after 17 years, generating Tk18.05 lakh this year.

Sources added that leases had been granted for the big market, Shah Alam Market, the big market bicycle stand, slaughterhouse, bus terminal, bus terminal pond, cattle market bicycle stand and the big market public toilet. The lease value for the coming year, effective from next Boishakh, has risen by Tk23.46 lakh to Tk155.09 lakh, up from Tk131.63 lakh a year earlier.

This increase is expected to further strengthen the municipality's finances, officials said.