“Even if it means making promises he cannot keep and hike in minimum pay can never be paid to central government employees. Big wonder millions of employees queued in the false hope that FM he’d shake his magic money tree at them. Shamefully, Jaitley couldn’t bring himself to admit that his promise was nailed in place by a whopping lie,” the union leader was quoted as saying by Sen Times.
Last year, on June 30 when the Union Cabinet approved implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, Arun Jaitley held a meeting with representatives of central government employees unions at Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s house. Jaitley had reportedly assured unions leaders of central government employees that their demand of hike in minimum pay would be looked into. “The minimum pay of central government employees Rs 18,000 was made on recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. But government will consider hiking it after discussions with all stakeholders,” Jaitley had said in the meeting.
Under the 7th Pay Commission, the ratio of pay between the highest declared pay matrix (Level-18) and the lowest grade (Level -1) is 1:13.9, which was 1:12 in the 6th pay scale. All pay commissions except 7th Pay Commission made up pay gap between lower paid employees and top officers from second Pay Commission 1:41 ratio to Sixth pay commission 1:12.
While the central government employees are unhappy with 14.27 per cent hike in basic pay, under the 7th Pay Commission, for central government employees, the government said that there was no scope for further change in minimum pay and higher allowances. “Though Finance minister had promised them that they will get proper pay scales with hiking minimum pay of lower paid employees, after the review of the new pay scales by the the High Level Committee but the government is not ready to consider it,” sources in the Finance Ministry had said.