7th Pay Commission award after five-state polls: Finmin

7th Pay Commission award after five-state polls: FinminNew Delhi: Official sources in Finance Ministry told us on condition of anonymity that the central government will announce 7th Pay Commission award to increase pay and facilities of the central government employees after the completion of five states assemblies’ poll process as the model code of conduct is currently in place and the employees will get it ahead of the festive season.

The announcement is to come in June-July after eight to nine months of receiving of Seventh Pay Commission report.

Sources, however, said the government had no plans to give allowances in arrears for the central government employees.

“There’s no arrears of allowances will be given to employees,” they confirmed.

When asked whether complications would arise in implementing the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations when its implement, they said, “Secretaries group’ll not leave such vacuum.”

Sources said the Secretaries group was aimed at narrowing the gap between the salaries of officers and low paid government employees.

The group observed it was essential that the salary of top government officials should not be far to that of their low paid subordinate employees. “This will help reduce corruption by the government officials and make government jobs more attractive.”

The Seventh Pay Commission was formed on February 4, 2014 during the last UPA government.

Under Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, the take-home salary of the top boss in government service was fixed at Rs 2,50,000 while the the basic pay of the lowest-ranked employee was fixed at Rs 18,000.

Traditionally, pay commissions have been set up after every 10 years to revise the pay scales of central government employees. States also accept these recommendations for their employees after certain modifications.

Justice A K Mathur, Chairman, 7th Pay Commission presented its report to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in November with the recommendations for 14.27 per cent increase in basic pay, the overall increase in salary, allowances and pensions is 23.55%. The increase in allowances will be higher by 63% while pensions will rise 24%.

A 13 members secretary-level Empowered Committee or Secretaries group headed by cabinet Secretary P K Sinha was formed in January to review the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission before cabinet nod.

TST