Oct. 31: New clothes, boxes full of sweets, crackers and other goodies will not light up the eyes of children in the homes of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) employees this Diwali.

“I was planning to buy some new clothes for my son, but may well have to jettison the idea. Not getting salaries on time has become a perennial feature,” an employee of the corporation said.

Sources said GMC authorities were trying hard to clear the salaries of the employees, but would not be able to do so before the festival.

One of them said the corporation had reduced the gap in salary arrears, which used to run into several months. “Only the October salary has to be paid and efforts are on to clear it as early as possible,” he added.

“With a number of holidays this month, the collection has not been good leading to a dent in the corporation’s resources,” he said.

The GMC’s salary bill is around Rs 2.3 crore per month.

Chandan Sharma, the general secretary of GMC Employees’ Union, said: “We are holding a meeting tomorrow to decide on the future course of action regarding the non-payment of salaries.”

The source said the employees were agitated over the non-payment of salaries and the union could call a ceasework. Such a move, he added, would affect the functioning of the corporationand hamper the supply of basic amenities to the citizens.

The non-payment of salaries on time only reinforces the argument that the corporation should increase its resource mobilisation.

GMC authorities have promised to spruce up the corporation’s services, take initiatives to increase its revenue base and to implement time-bound programmes.

A senior GMC official, however, said the corporation’s operation and maintenance expenditure would show a sharp increase only from the 2009-10 fiscal with the implementation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission project.

“The corporation shall take strong measures for collection of the user charges which have been spelt out in the memorandum of agreement under the mission,” the official said.

However, he said considering the abysmal rate of recovery at present, a complete cost recovery could be achieved only over a length of time and funds should be made able in the interim period.

The Centre will provide the government with Rs 500 crore to upgrade the city’s infrastructure.

The GMC has proposed the setting up of an operation and maintenance fund to balance the recovery deficit.

The fund will be operational by 2009-10, simultaneously with the project.