The Tamil Nadu government has allocated ₹171.89 crore to compensate government officials and staff who were involved in Lok Sabha election duties in the state. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu were held on April 19, with vote counting completed on June 4. Officials and staff engaged in election duties are typically paid a special allowance for their service from the announcement of the election date until the completion of vote counting.
Despite five months passing since the election, this compensation had not been disbursed. Similarly, funds for election-related expenses had also been pending. After a report on the delay was published on October 19, the funds for election expenses were released promptly. However, the compensation for the staff was still pending, leading to disappointment among election staff who were hoping for the payment ahead of the Diwali festival.
With the appointment of Archana Patnaik as the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu, election-related processes have been expedited. The issue of the delayed compensation was brought to her attention, leading to the immediate release of the funds and the issuance of an official government order.
The total allocated amount of ₹171.89 crore has been distributed based on the number of officials and staff in each district. For example, Chennai has been allocated ₹10.12 crore, Madurai ₹8.06 crore, Coimbatore ₹7.84 crore, Tiruppur ₹5.61 crore, and Nilgiris ₹1.98 crore.
Depending on their designation and roles, officials and staff involved in election duties will receive allowances ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹33,000. The release of funds and the issuance of the government order have brought relief and happiness to the election staff across the state.