Modi cabinet can decide on allowances this week

Central government employees, who have been waiting for updates on Seventh Pay Commission's recommendations, may finally get to hear from the Narendra Modi government this week.
According to reports, the Union cabinet may take a decision on revised allowance structure at a meeting on Wednesday.

The Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) screened the Ashok Lavasa report on allowances at a June 1 meeting and has subsequently forwarded its suggestions to the Modi government.
The Union cabinet will now deliberate on the suggestions of the Empowered Committee of Secretaries at the meeting this week.

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT REVISED ALLOWANCES UNDER SEVENTH PAY COMMISSION:

1. If some reports are to be believed, the E-CoS meet discussed House Rent Allowance (HRA) and an increase in basic pay among other concerns of Central government employees. 
    
2. The Empowered Committee of Secretaries has reportedly put a cap on HRA rates between 25 per cent and 27 per cent. 
    
3. Central government employees have demanded that the HRA rates be left unchanged at 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 per cent depending on city category. The Seventh Pay Commission recommended reducing the HRA to 24 per cent, 16 per cent and 8 per cent of the basic pay.
    
4. Some reports had hinted at the Ashok Lavasa-led Committee on Allowances taking a favourable view of employees' demand on the HRA. The Ashok Lavasa panel submitted its review report on Seventh Pay Commission to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on April 27. 
    
5. The Union cabinet may choose to look into the Central government employees' concerns regarding the HRA. The allowances once implemented will benefit nearly 50 lakh government employees. 
    
6. The Seventh Pay Commission had also suggested axing 53 of the 196 allowances drawn by Central government employees, besides subsuming another 36 smaller allowances into bigger ones. 
    
7. The Seventh Pay Commission recommended doing away or merging allowances such as assisting cashier, cycle, condiment, flying squad, haircut, robe, shorthand, soap, spectacle, uniform, vigilance and washing. 
    
8. The Union Cabinet recently approved modifications in the Seventh Pay Commission's recommendations on method of revision of pension of pre-2016 pensioners and family pensioners based on suggestions made by the Committee chaired by Secretary (Pensions). 
    
9. The pay hike of 14.27 per cent under the Seventh Pay Commission is the lowest Central government employees have received in the last 70 years.