Is the 7th Pay Commission headache for Central government employees finally getting over?
Is the wait finally getting over?
According to various news reports, representatives of Central government employees are likely to meet finance ministry officials today (May 17) and discuss the rolling out of revised allowances under the Seventh Pay Commission.
The Seventh Pay Commission was constituted in February 2014 to review the principles and structure of emoluments of all central government civilian employees, including defence forces and submitted its report on November 19, 2015.
Government employees protested the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, following which the Narendra Modi government formed a committee in June last year under finance secretary Ashok Lavasa to review the suggestions.
Many believed the meagre salary hike following the pay panel recommendations undermined the self-worth of public servants.
The Lavasa committee had submitted its report on allowances to 47 lakh central government employees to finance minister Arun Jaitley on April 27.
The Pay Commission had recommended abolition of, or subsuming of, allowances like acting, assisting cashier, cycle, condiment, flying squad, hair-cutting, rajbhasha, rajdhani, robe, shoes, shorthand, soap, spectacle, uniform, vigilance and washing.
Acoording to PTI, after submitting the report to Jaitley, Lavasa had said the committee has taken into account representations made by various stakeholders. The report will now be examined by the empowered committee of secretaries and following that it will be placed before the Cabinet, he said.
Out of total 196 allowances, it had recommended abolition of 52 and subsuming of another 36 into larger existing ones. The Pay Commission had recommended increasing the HRA in the range of 8 per cent-24 per cent.
If the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations on allowances are implemented fully, then as per estimates the cost to the exchequer will be Rs 29,300 crore.
Till then make sure to watch this space for more.