Salary payments for March have reportedly been delayed for many Karnataka government employees across multiple departments, leaving thousands waiting well into April.
Staff members from departments such as revenue, education, police, animal husbandry and information and public relations are among those affected.
Unusual delay worries employees
Employees usually receive salaries within the first week of April. While some staff reportedly got payments around April 9 and 10, many others remained unpaid even after April 18.
Officials said delays beyond the financial year-end are not entirely uncommon, but several employees described this year’s situation as unusually prolonged.
A source in the education department said delays of one or two weeks are sometimes seen after year-end, but a three-week wait has created anxiety.
Technical and fund issues cited
Department sources attributed the delay to a mix of technical glitches and financial constraints.
Some allegations also surfaced claiming around ₹6,000 crore had been diverted toward the Gruhalakshmi Scheme ahead of recent bypolls.
However, Ritesh Kumar Singh rejected these claims and said no salary funds were diverted.
He stated that in some departments, Drawing and Disbursing Officers were slow in processing payments and salary release had been delegated to department heads.
Families feel the pressure
Teachers and staff said the delay has disrupted household budgeting during an important season for school fee payments, uniforms and other expenses.
One teacher from Sanjaynagar said many families were worried as April is a high-expense month.
Hope for quick release
Treasury officials reportedly said efforts were under way to arrange funds and clear pending salaries soon.
With around 6.4 lakh state employees depending on timely disbursal, many are now hoping payments arrive without further delay.