7th Pay Commission: Allowance report to be placed before Cabinet

The Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) is likely to meet Union Cabinet tomorrow to discuss the higher allowance and house rent allowance (HRA) recommendations report under 7th Pay Commission. 

Last week, Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha, who is also the head of E-CoS, gave assurance that all the demands of the central government employeed will be met. 

Last week, in a meeting National Council (Staff Side) Joint Consultative Machinery (NCJCM) chief, Shiv Gopal Mishra wrote a letter to Cabinet and OneIndia quoted it saying, "Today I met the Cabinet Secretary(Government of India) and handed him over a copy of our letter regarding inordinate delay in implementation of the report of the Ashok Lavasa Committee on Allowances."

During the meeting with Mishra, Cabinet Secretary had fixed June 1, 2017 date to review the report of Allowance Committee by the Empowered Committee. After the reviewal, the report will be then send to the Union Cabinet for their consideration. 

According to the One India report, employees' unions said that they would raise the voice if the HRA is reduced. 

7th CPC had recommended house rent allowance (HRA) to be paid at the rate of 24%, 16% and 8% of the new Basic Pay, depending on the type of cities.  But, employees' unions have demanded HRA at 30, 20 and 10%. 

Other recommendations that included a change in the present system of accounting, wherein pay and allowances are clubbed and it would be difficult to bifurcate these. Out of 196 allowances, the 7th Pay Commission report had recommended abolition of 52 and subsuming of another 36 into larger existing ones.

In April, the government had accepted the recommendation report under 7th Pay Commission submitted by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa panel.