Ranchi: Chief minister's grievance redress forum, Seedhi Baat, on Tuesday threw up baffling cases of salaries glitches in government departments.

Listening to complaints received at Jan Samvad Kendra, chief minister Raghubar Das was surprised to learn that a data entry operator was not paid from January to May 2016, apparently because the 13th Finance Commission funds were exhausted, and that nearly 500 para-teachers in Palamau were denied their salaries for three months in 2012-13.

A para-teacher from Palamau complained he and 493 of his colleagues in Naudiha Bazar block were not paid salaries for three months in 2012-13 even as officials pleaded that the education project director had already been requested to release Rs 5,712,600 to clear the dues.

But, Das first wanted to know whether his recent order that para-teachers would get a bonus equivalent to their two months' salary amount before Holi was complied with. When officials kept quiet, the chief minister pointed out Holi would be celebrated in two days and that payments must be made by Wednesday.

Complainant Gulelchand Mahto, who worked as a data entry operator at a panchayat secretariat in Baghmara (Dhanbad) during 2015-16, said he continued working from January to May 2016 at the orders of then BDO, though the 13th Finance Commission tenure was over. But, he said that when he wrote to Baghmara BDO and Dhanbad DDC, he learnt payments were not possible anymore unless the government released more funds and granted a special permit to pay.

Mahto was also told that only Rs 1,058 as balance was available in the 13th Finance Commission when his outstanding dues came to Rs 42,987.

Observing there must be similar cases all across the state, the chief minister directed Mahto to be paid from the contingency fund or some other head and the errant BDO be taken to task.

A physically challenged Godda resident, Dheeraj Kumar Sah, said he had come to Ranchi for the first time only to say he had not got his social security pension for five years. When he was assured by Godda officials that he would get his money in a day or two, chief minister Das told him, "If you don't get your money in a week, come to me." He also asked Sah not to refer himself as viklang (disabled) but as divyang (specially abled).

Of the 16 complaints heard during Tuesday's Seedhi Baat, most were related to payments of dues, including compensations to victims of 1984 riots and financial aid for medical treatment. There were also alleged lapses on the part of police during investigation of cases.

In his concluding address, he also congratulated Palamau police and CRPF for their recent offensives against Maoists and other rebel outfits.