7th Pay Commission – Hike in Higher Allowances unlikely, Empowered Committee may Stick to 7CPC Recommendations

7th Pay Commission – Hike in Higher Allowances unlikely, Empowered Committee may Stick to 7CPC Recommendations

Central government employees, who have been waiting for higher allowances under the 7th Pay Commission since July last year, may not receive any good when the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) table its report before the Cabinet.

The E-CoS, which is currently screening the report submitted by the Committee on Allowances on higher allowances under the 7th Central Pay Commission, is unlikely to suggest hike in allowances. According to Finance Ministry officials, the E-CoS may stick to the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission on higher allowances.

There is no scope to change in higher allowances, which were recommended by the 7th Central Pay Commission, as the Committee on Allowances, headed by Finance Secretary, stuck with the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations on higher allowances, reported an official. The official further said the government is now engaged in forceful implementation of allowances as recommended by the 7th Pay Commission, adding that the demand of central government employees to hike in allowances than the 7th Pay Commission recommendations is likely not to be considered by E-CoS.

“The central government finally decided not to give any facility to central government employees better than the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. Accordingly, the government stuck with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations on pay scales and advances and its implementation have been made forcefully,” sources in the Finance Ministry were quoted as saying. They also added that the quantum of allowances may not vary from those proposed by the 7th Pay Commission and the government is not bound by the findings of the Empowered Committee of Secretaries.

The Committee on Allowances, which examined the 7th Central  Pay Commission recommendations on allowances, submitted its report to the finance ministry on April 27. The committee was formed after the 7th Pay Commission, led by Justice (retd) A K Mathur, suggested the abolition of 52 out of the 196 existing allowances, apart from subsuming 36 smaller allowances, which triggered resentment among central government employees.

The recommendations of the Committee on Allowances about higher allowances under the 7th Central Pay Commission hasn’t been made public. While the sources are saying that the committee stuck to the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission, the Finance Ministry said the report has suggested some modifications in some allowances that are applicable universally to all employees as well as certain other allowances which apply to specific employee categories.

Source: India.com