|
Former Supreme Court Justice Ashok
Kumar Mathur (above), the head of the Seventh Central PayCommission
|
New Delhi: Central government
employees are awaiting next government nod on merger of 50 percent dearness
allowance to basic Pay in the view of model code of conduct.
Family finances of government
employees are being squeezed from all sides as inflation is rising at its
fastest level in last four years. How can government employees cope with raising
inflation besides merger of 50 percent dearness allowance (DA) to basic pay.
High prices of day-to-day goods make
it difficult for government employees to afford even the basic commodities in
their lives.
The Sixth Pay Commission did not
talk about merger. As a result, with the continuous increase of dearness
allowance, this has now reached up to 100 per cent of basic pay but the
government did not merged 50 percent dearness allowance to basic pay on the
pretext of sixth pay panel recommendation.
Earlier, the DA was merged with
basic pay, only after it touched 50 per cent of the basic pay on the
recommendation of fifth central pay panel.
The government has set up the
Seventh Central Pay Commission to recommend for revising salaries of central government
employees.
The 4-members commission, headed by
Ashok Kumar Mathur, former Supreme Court Judge, will formulate pay, allowances
and other facilities as well as benefits structure for 50 lakh central
government employees.
The commission will also to look at
the revision of pension for those who have retired prior to the date of effect
of these recommendations.
However, the decision regarding
merger of 50 per cent dearness allowance to basic pay will be taken only after
the Seventh Pay Commission gives its interim recommendations under the
terms of reference for the commission before submitting of its final report
within 18 months of the date of its constitution.
The merger of 50 percent DA to basic
pay will lead salaries rising by up to 30 per cent, which will cope with the
present living cost of government employees.
The election Commission announced
the Lok Sabha elections; model code of conduct makes the government lame-duck
as it cannot take decision on merger of dearness allowance without permission
of the Election Commission.
Hence, this genuine demand may be
considered by the next government only on interim recommendation of seventh pay
panel.
Source : Agencies & The Sen
Times
