LAHORE, Dec 8: The Punjab government has announced substantial special pay and project allowance for top civil bureaucracy and district coordination officers (DCOs) in the province to “provide them some relief”, official sources told Dawn here on Friday.

They said the substantial indirect increase in the monthly income had been announced through notifications issued by the Punjab finance department.

The special pay/allowance has been given to all officers in BS-22 and -21 and all administrative secretaries at the rate of 20 per cent of their basic pay with effect from July 1.

The recipients include all officers holding civil posts in BS-22 and -21 and all administrative secretaries to the government of Punjab in BS-20. They will get 20 per cent of their current basic pay as the allowance admissible during the period the post held by them.

The allowance will not be admissible to those posted as special secretary or those administrative secretaries appointed on acting charge basis. It will also not be given for more than one posts.

The allowance has no upper limit or ceiling and will be paid through the budgets of the departments concerned.

All DCOs in the province will get a monthly project allowance at the rate of Rs25,000 per month with immediate effect. And the pay will be made through the budgets of their respective district governments. —Intikhab Hanif