Byline: Prafulla Marpakwar

MUMBAI: For the Congress-led Democratic Front government, Rs 500 in 1979 is equivalent to Rs 7,000 in May 2008.

This was evident from the amendment made by the government to the nearly three-decade-old Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules in May.

In 1979, the rules provided that a group A employee (gazetted officers, group A) were permitted to accept gifts worth Rs 500.

In the case of group B officers, the upper limit was Rs 400; for non-gazetted officers (group C), it was Rs 300 and for group D employees, whose basic salary is less than Rs 4,400 or a corresponding amount in keeping with the revision of payscale made in future, it was Rs 200.

A week ago, the government amended the conduct rules to enhance the gift amount, Now instead of Rs 500, a group A employee is allowed to accept gifts worth Rs 7,000, group B employee Rs 4,000, group C employees Rs 2,000 and group D employees Rs 1,000.

In addition to the specific details of gifts received by them, it is binding on state government employees to file

annual returns pertaining to the transactions, particularly on the purchase of movable and immovable properties.

State employees have expressed strong displeasure over the absence of clarity in the amended conduct rules.

"For central as well as state government employees, rules already exist on the value of gifts an employee can accept, but there is absolutely no clarity. As a result, there is complete confusion," a senior official told TOI on Monday.

Elaborating his contention, the official said the amended rules should have clearly stated the total value of the gift an employee can accept.

"The amended rule merely says Rs 7000. Does it mean that the total value of the gift will be Rs 7,000 or he can accept gifts worth Rs 7,000 from individuals?" he asked.

Another officer observed that while the state has amended the conduct rules, there is no mechanism to check the value of gifts.

"We feel that with spiralling prices, Rs 7,000 is a meagre amount. In changed circumstances, for officers, it should be enhanced to at least Rs 1 lakh," the official said.