Patna, March 11: All employees of Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC), who were on strike, resumed duty today after the state urban development department announced the appointment of district accounts and finance controller clearing the way for payment of salaries of the corporation employees.

About 3,500 employees of the PMC had gone on strike yesterday demanding outstanding salaries.

Sources said one part of the employees on strike, related to Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) had called off the strike yesterday evening and the other body — Patna Nagar Nigam Staff Union (PNNSU) continued with their strike till half-day today.

The second body, however, decided to end the agitation after the urban development officials agreed to the appointment of Awdhesh Kumar Sinha as finance controller and promised to pay salaries by Saturday.

According to sources, the regular employees have not been paid salary for the past two months.

The condition of the contractual employees is even worse as they have not been paid their last five months’ salary.

Similarly, employees on master role have not been paid last three months’ salary.

“Problem arose as the post of district finance and accounts controller was empty since February 11. The predecessor of the present municipal commissioner had removed him from his post accusing him of financial irregularities and no one has been appointed in his place. According to the norms, no payments are made without his approval and as a result payment of salaries and pensions were stalled,” a source said.

Chandrama Singh, additional-municipal commissioner, who had been given the additional charge of PMC commissioner after Divesh Sehra — who joined as municipal commissioner — left for Bengal on election-related duties, said that PMC had been trying to get finance controller posted for the past one month.

“We had been requesting the urban development department to expedite the process of appointment of the finance controller and it has been notified today. The crisis is over now,” said Singh.

Ward corporators and employees of PMC, meanwhile, accused that the state government was completely apathetic towards the civic body.

“The post of the finance controller is such an important one. As it was vacant, salaries were stopped and it hampered budget preparation too. But it took government a strike by the PMC workers to wake up from slumber and announce the filling up of vacancy. It shows how serious they are about the civic agency’s functioning,” said Suneel Kumar, corporator of ward number 3.

Officials in the urban development department said that a new interim commissioner will also be appointed in PMC as Sehra will be back only after two months.

“The additional commissioner is taking care of the routine affairs but a PMC commissioner is required to take important decisions and therefore a notification regarding new appointment will be issued in a few days,” Kumar said.