New Delhi, April 5: Central Government employees are eagerly awaiting the hike in allowances as per the 7th Pay Commission. The National Joint Council of Action (NJCA), which is leading the negotiation on behalf of employees, has demanded the Centre to implement higher allowances along with arrears from January 2016. Centre is yet to confirm whether the allowance would be hiked with retrospective effect, considering its impact on the exchequer. However, the NJCA argues that arrears would create no additional burden on the Government.
NJCA convenor Shiv Gopal Mishra, while speaking to India.com, recalled the allocation of 1,02,100 crore in the Budget 2016-17. Out of the stated amount, Centre was slated to spent Rs 84,933 crore in the past fiscal to implement the 7th Pay Commission.
“Government had allocated Rs 1 lakh, two thousand crores for implementation of 7th Pay Commission. That amount has not been completely spent. Even if they will provide us arrears on allowances from January 1, 2016, I believe the cost would not exceed beyond the amount allocated,” Mishra said. 
NJCA has warned to launch an organised protest if arrears are not provided along with the allowances. “It is our right. The salaries of central government employees are hiked once in a decade. If Centre failed to implement the hike on the slated date (January 1, 2016), then it is their duty to provide us with arrears,” added Mishra, who is also the general secretary of All India Railwaymen’s Federation.
Mishra could not confirm whether Centre would implement the allowance hike along with arrears. “There is no confirmation given to us in this regard. They are yet to finalise the report (on allowances). The next meeting would be held on April 6,” the NJCA chief said.
The higher allowances would benefit a total of 47 lakh Central Government employees. The hike was deferred in July, as Centre decided to hike only the basic component of salaries by 14.3 per cent. Higher allowances were delayed as NJCA had raised anomalies over the abolition of nearly 52 and subsumption of another 32 out of the total 196 existing allowances.
Centre had formed a high-level committee under Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa to review the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations in respect to allowances. The committee is yet to submit its report to the Finance Ministry.