Salary distribution comes to halt over SPARK's 'technical fault'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Due to a technical fault with the SPARK (Service and Payroll Administrative Repository for Kerala), the salary distribution of the government employees came to a halt on Friday. The salaries of the departments and directorates, government-controlled Grand in Aid Institutions and Anganwadis, which are paid in the last phase, were blocked.

While opening SPARK on Friday, it showed that a maintenance was being carried out from 10 am to 6 pm.

Since April 1 was a holiday, the salary distribution started on the second day. On that day, the secretariat employees got their salaries. Policemen and others who were supposed to get their salaries on the first day did not get them. A section of the local department did not receive their salary April 4.

Allegations were raised that the salary was withheld in the name of SPARK maintenance to hide the financial crisis of the government or to adjust the overdraft.

The first borrowing of this financial year will take place on April 9.