7th Pay Commission: NJCA demands Rs 3,000 children education allowance and Rs 2,000 monthly medical allowance for central government employees

Around 56 lakh central government employees and 46 lakh pensioners have been eagerly waiting for the implementation of 7th Pay Commission.

New Delhi, April 2: The National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) a joint body of unions representing central government employees has kept forward their demands to enhance children education allowance of Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 monthly medical allowance under the 7th Pay Commission. These demands were kept on behalf of central government employees by NJCA convenor Shiv Gopal Mishra who had met the Cabinet Secretary on March 28. The Cabinet Secretary has recently submitted its final revised report on higher allowances and minimum wage to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who is yet to act on it.

Apart from education allowance, the NJCA has also demanded hostel subsidy of Rs 10,000 with tax exemption. Earlier this year the several other unions had demanded inclusion of post-graduate and professional courses in children education allowance and to hike the ‘Fixed Medical Allowance’ to Rs 2,000 with Dearness Allowance Indexation, The Sen Times reported.

Almost 10 months have been passed after the Cabinet approved most of the recommendations mad by the 7th Pay Commission committee but the decision on minimum wage and higher allowances are still in pipeline. The NJCA chief who recently had a meeting with Cabinet Secretary made it clear that the central government employees who are eagerly waiting for their hiked salaries with arrears also expect arrears on higher allowances from January 2016 till the date when 7th Pay Commission is implemented. 

While speaking to India.com, Shiv Gopal Mishra said, “On March 28, I met with the Cabinet Secretary and have kept forward our demands. In which the NJCA have clearly mentioned that they are looking for higher allowances with arrears from January 2016”. The Union Government had promised to pay hiked salaries with arrears from January 2016 irrespective of when the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission is accepted. But the Cabinet had not taken any call on arrears on higher allowances.

During the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary has also given a hint to NJCA chief that there are chances that the decision on implementation of 7th Pay Commission and higher allowances might be taken after MCD polls in Delhi is over. During the meeting, Shiv Gopal Mishra also raised issues related to increasing the HRA (House Rent Allowance) and National Pension Scheme (NPS). He said that the HRA must be based on an old formula and transport allowance must be calculated according to inflation.

Around 56 lakh central government employees and 46 lakh pensioners have been eagerly waiting for the implementation of 7th Pay Commission.