Allowances Without Arrears

The government is considering to give relief to central government employees amid cash crunch, which refusing to ease on even after six weeks of the demonetisation announcement, official sources today said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley can also take some time to formalise higher allowances announcement.

“We can expect the higher allowances without arrears under 7th pay commission recommendations in the coming days as the PMO thinks payment of the higher allowances with salaries on salary day cannot be “chaotic”, a close aide of the Finance Minister told The Sen Times.

“The PMO might ask the Finance Ministry to ready the higher allowances proposal without arrears before the budget. The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley can also take some time to formalise this announcement. The issue of arrears of higher allowances may not be reconsidered”, he said.

Another official said the government is considering to make only allowances hike for its employees. “The financial advisors of the government believe it could be tough to give arrears of the higher allowances as millions will queue outside the money dispensers to get higher allowances as the cash crunch may be normalised in three to four months.”, the official revealed.

In the current financial year, the government has given higher basic pay with arrears, effective from January 1, 2016 to its employees on the recommendations of the 7th pay commission but the hike in allowances other than dearness allowance referred to the ‘Committee on Allowances’ headed by the Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa for examination as the pay commission had recommended of abolishing 51 allowances and subsuming 37 others out of 196 allowances.

Existing allowances are now paid to the central government employees according to the 6th Pay Commission recommendations until issuing of higher allowances notification.

Earlier, Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa said, “We are ready to submit our report, when the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley calls up.”

But the government gave extension to the committee up to February 22, 2017 to take cash crunch turn for better.

“The government would comply with the cash crunch to give higher allowances without arrears. The government wishes to give the higher allowances with arrears from August to its employees”, said the sources.

They said the PMO still wants to somehow bring out the higher allowances without arrears for the central government employees now, “but the Finance Ministry cannot take emotional decisions. We hope the announcement for the higher allowances will come with arrears soon after the budget.”

“The committee on allowances proposed higher allowances from August 2016 but the central government employees unions demanded for implementation of the allowances with retrospective effect from January 2016,” the sources also said.

Central Govt employee union calls nationwide strike on February 15

After a massive Parliament march conducted by the central government employees on December 15, the union has called again for a nationwide strike on February 15, 2017, demanding the Union Government to make an immediate settlement of their 21 points charter demands in 7th Pay Commission (7CPC). The strike has been called in a joint cooperation by several central government employees union against what they say “the betrayal and breach of assurance by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu”.

On 15th December a massive Parliament march was conducted in which around 15,000 central government employees from all over the states participated. In the Parliament march autonomous bodies employees and pensioners also extended their support by joining the rally. During the rally which the central government employees union view as a success also declared a one-day nationwide strike on February 15.

The strike has been announced by the National President of the Confederation KKN Kutty, Secretary General M Krishnan and several other leaders present at the rally.

ccording to reports, the rally condemned the authoritarian attitude of the NDA Government and also the breach of an assurance given by the trio Union Ministers to NJCA leaders who met them after the implementation of 7th Pay Commission.

What are 21 Points Charter Demands made by central government employees:

1) The central government employees union asked the government to settle the demands raised by NJCA regarding modifications of 7th Pay Commission recommendations as submitted in the memorandum to Cabinet Secretary on 10th December 2015. Honour the assurance given by the Union Ministers to NJCA on 30th June 2016 and 6th July 2016, especially increase in minimum wage and fitment factor. Grant revised HRA at the existing percentage itself ie: 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 per cent. Accept the proposal of the staff side regarding transport allowance. Settle all anomalies arising out of implementation of 7th CPC recommendations, in a time bound manner.

2) Implement option-I recommended by 7th Pay Commission and accepted by the Government regarding parity in pension of pre-2016 pensioners, without any further delay. Settle the pension related issues raised by NJCA against item 13 of its memorandum submitted to Cabinet Secretary on 10th December 2015.

3) Scrap PFRDA Act and New Pension System (NPS) and grant pension and Family Pension to all Central Government employees recruited after 1st January 2004, under CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.

4) Treat Gramin Dak Sewaks of postal department as civil servants, and extend all benefits like pay, pension, allowances etc. of departmental employees to GDS. Publish GDS Committee report immediately.

5) Regularise all casual, contract, part-time, contingent and Daily rated mazdoors and grant equal pay and other benefits. Revise the wages as per 7th CPC minimum pay.

6) No downsizing, privatisation, outsourcing and contractorisation of government functions.

7) Withdraw the arbitrary decision of the Government to enhance the benchmark for performance appraisal for promotion and financial up-gradations under MACP from “GOOD” to VERY GOOD” and also decision to withhold annual increments in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the bench march either for MACP or for regular promotion within the first 20 years of service. Grant MACP pay fixation benefits on promotional hierarchy and not on pay-matrix hierarchy. Personnel promoted on the basis of examination should be treated as fresh entrants to the cadre for grant of MACP.

8) Withdraw the draconian FR 56 (J) and Rule 48 of CCs (Pension) Rules 1972 which is being misused as a short cut as purity measure to punish and victimize the employees.

9) Fill up all vacant posts including promotional posts in a time bound manner. Lift ban on creation of posts. Undertake cadre Review to access the requirement of employees and their cadre prospects. Modify recruitment rules of Group-‘C’ cadre and make recruitment on Regional basis.

10) Remove 5% ceiling on compassionate appointments and grant appointment in all deserving cases.

11) Grant five promotions in the service career to all Central Govt. employees.

12) Abolish and upgrade all Lower Division Clerks to Upper Division Clerks.

13) Ensure parity in pay for all stenographers, Assistants, Ministerial Staff in subordinate offices and in all organized Accounts cadres with Central Secretariat staff by upgrading their pay scales. Grant pay scale of Drivers in Loksabha Secretariat to Drivers working in all other Central Government Departments.

14) Reject the stipulation of 7th CPC to reduce the salary to 80 per cent for the second year of Child Care leave and retain the existing provision.

15) Introduce Productivity Linked bonus in all department and continue the existing bi-lateral agreement on PLB wherever it exists.

16) Ensure cashless medical treatment to all Central Government employees & Pensioners in all recognized Government and Private hospitals.

17) Revision of Overtime Allowance (OTA) and Night Duty Allowance (NDA) w.e.f 01.01.2016 based on 7th CPC pay scale.

18) Revision of wages of Central Government employees in every five years.

19) Revive JCM functioning at all levels. Grant recognition of the unions/Associations under CCS (RSA) Rules 1993 within a time frame to facilitate effective JCM functioning.

20) Implementation of the Revised Pay structure in respect of employees and pensioners of autonomous bodies consequent on implementation of CCS (Revised Pay) Rules 2016 in respect of Central Government employees and pensioners w.e.f. 01.01.2016.

21) Implementation of the “equal pay for equal work” judgement of the Supreme Court in all departments of the Central Government.

Judges To Get A Huge Pay Hike

The judges of the Supreme Court and High Court will soon receive a huge pay hike. The Chief Justice of India TS Thakur has written to the government, forwarding a judges' committee report which recommended a hike of over 300% including pension and perks.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley has agreed with most of the recommendations, sources said. A cabinet note is being prepared, which after formal clearance, will go to parliament.

The salaries of the judges were last hiked eight years ago. But the implementation of the new hike can take time as the hikes of lawmakers - current and former - the President and the Vice-President are still pending.

At present, the Chief Justice of India gets a salary of Rs. 1 lakh. Against the judges' committee recommendation to hike his salary by Rs. 3 lakh, the government has agreed to hike it by Rs. 2.8 lakh.

For Supreme Court judges, the present salary is Rs. 90,000. The judges' committee recommended a pay hike of Rs. 2.8 lakh and the government has agreed to an increase of Rs. 2.5 lakh.

The salary of High Court judges will increase from Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 2.25 lakh against the recommendation of Rs. 2.5 lakh.

The government has not agreed to an increase of house rent allowance, since a committee is already looking into the issue following the 7th pay commission recommendations.

Under the pay commission recommendations, they get a steep hike in funds for furnishing their houses. It ranges from Rs. 10 lakh for the Chief Justice of India to 6 lakh for judges of High Court and 1,500 free phone calls. The judges will continue to get 

The pensions of the judges will be hiked as well. free water up to 36 kilo liters and free power of 10,000 units.The Chief Justice of India will get R

s. 16,80,000 plus dearness allowance, the Supreme Court judges Rs. 15 lakh plus dearness allowance and High Court judges Rs. 13.5 lakh plus dearness allowance a year. Their gratuity would be doubled to Rs. 20 lakh.

Allowances will not be revised this Year as Committee’s time limit extended up to 22.02.2017

2) The extension of two months given to the Ministry of Finance to receive the notification on higher allowances under the Pay Commission’s award, COULD PUSH IT’S FULLER EFFECT INTO THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR rather than this financial year.

The above statement by the Governor, RBI clearly indicates that THE ALLOWANCES WILL BE REVISED ONLY AFTER FEBRUARY 2017 AND WILL COME INTO EFFECT IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR ONLY.

Earlier to a question regarding increase in Minimum Pay and Fitment formula Minister of State for Finance Shri Arun Ram Meghwal gave the following reply in the Rajya Sabha on 23.11.2016.

“The anomalies arising out of implementation of 7th Central Pay Commission will be examined by the Anomaly Committee which has already been constituted. Based on the report of the Committee, the matter will be considered by the Government and appropriate decision will be taken.

From the reply it is clear that the question of increase in Minimum Pay and Fitment factor is to be decided by the Anomaly Committee. That is why the Government has not formally constituted THE HIGH LEVEL COMMITTEE as assured by the Group of Ministers to the JCM Staff side leaders in the 30th June night discussion. And this is the reason for Group of Senior Officers behaving as if they .don’t know what the task is assigned to them. Now by 30th December SIX months will be over after the 30th June assurance given by Group of Ministers including Shri Rajnath Singh , Hon’ble Home Minister , Shri Arun Jaitley , Hon’ble Finance Minister and Shri Suresh Prabhu , Hon’ble Railway Minister . Employees and Leaders have never expected such blatant breach of assurance given by Senior Cabinet Ministers of NDA Government.

he revision of pay and pension of thousands of Autonomous body employees and Pensioners is also pending for the last six months. On 17.11.2016 Finance Ministry has given instructions to all Autonomous bodies NOT TO EXTEND the benefits of 7th CPC to employees and Pensioners of Autonomous bodies UNTIL FURTHER ORDERS.

The One man Committee constitute by Government for revision of wages and service conditions of three lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks of Postal Department had submitted it’s report to Government on 24th November 2016. Even after 20 days, the Government is not ready to publish the report or give copy to the recognised Federations.

The revision of wages of Casual, Part-time Contingent and Contract workers, consequent on implementation of 7th CPC wage revision is also pending.

The one and the only favourable recommendation of 7th CPC ie; Parity between past and present pensioners (Option – 1) stands referred to a Committee which has taken a stand that Option – 1 is not feasible.

None of the demands raised by Confederation in its 20 point charter of demands is settled.

THERE IS NO SHORT-CUT OTHER THAN STRUGGLE.

AWAKE! ARISE!! UNITE COMRADES!!!

RALLY ROUND CONFEDERATION.

WE THE WORKERS, WE THE NATION, WE ARE NOT BEGGAR FOLKS

M. Krishnan

Secretary General

Confederation

Higher allowances for central employees likely to be delayed further

Central government employees may get higher allowances under the 7th Pay Commission recommendations from February, 2017. The government is planning to pay higher allowance under the 7th Pay Commission recommendations from February to minimise the expenditures.

 The extension of two months for the 7th pay commission recommendation might receive highernotification thus pushing it forward to the next fiscal year rather than initiating from this year, said a Fab News report.

 The recommendation for a hike in salaries will be considered from February 2017 and only be applied from the next fiscal year i.e. April 2017, it said further.

National Anomaly Committee for disability pension for Defence Forces Personnel

The 1st meeting of the National Anomaly Committee was held on 01.12.2016 on the anomaly of calculation of the disability pension for Defence Forces Personnel as per the recommendations of the 7th CPC.

 The representative of the Armed Forces made a presentation in the meeting demanding that the recommendations of the 7th CPC to grand disability pension on a slab system if implemented will lead to an anomaly between the civilian side and the Defence Forces Personnel because the civilian side will continue to be governed under a percentage based system.

 After studying the presentation, the Staff Side of NC-JCM has suggested that the slab system will be beneficial to the lower Rank personnel and hence both the slab system and percentage system may be accepted by the Govt. on an optional basis, alternatively the slab amount recommended by 7th CPC can be increased to avoid the anomalous situation. 

Secretary (P) informed that the issue would be further studied in consultation with CGDA.