With no ex-gratia in sight, staff seeks advance against salary

A cautious Ranganathan said in reply to the request: “We have to consider the legalities — whether there are any rules and regulations to thhis effect.” He said the cash flow of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will also have to be checked before arriving at a decision, which is likely to be taken on Thursday. The cash flow was about Rs 30 crore a few days ago, he said.

Asked what the union would do if its request was turned down, a much-muted Rao said: “We cannot do anything.” He was, however, careful to state that the request for special advance payment was not linked to the festival advances that the BMC can offer its employees once a year, which is usually during Ganesh Chaturthi. There have been instances where the corporation has given special advances to its workers from their arrears, he noted.