New Delhi, Jan 17: The junior-level employees of central government might receive some good news regarding their salary hike beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. A top finance ministry official on Tuesday said that the National Anomaly Committee (NAC) has sent the proposals to increase the minimum pay of junior-level central government employees beyond the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission the ministry through DoPT. “Now it’s up to the ministry,” the official was quoted as saying by The Sen Times. The process might be underway to raise the minimum pay of employees whose pay falls within pay matrix level 5 beyond 7th Pay Commission.
The official also said that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is against the NAC’s proposal of raising minimum pay and fitment factor beyond what was recommended in the 7th Pay Commission. The DoPT, according to the reports, has not agreed with the NAC’s opinions.  The NAC had suggested minimum pay hike to Rs 21,000 from existing Rs 18,000 and fitment factor to 3.00 times from existing 2.57 times beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. When the official was asked how much time would it take to raise the minimum pay of junior level employees beyond the 7th Pay Commission, he didn’t make any comments.
The salary of a mid-level and senior level will remain unchanged. “There will be no change in salaries of employees above pay matrix level 5. The ministry is of the view that they have already got a good hike in the 7th Pay Commission recommendations,” a senior official added. “Since last two years, the government is working on the numbers and also on the burden to the exchequer that will be caused after the pay is increased. It is not finalised yet; however, it will be close to the demands of the union. There will be more clarity on it in the next few weeks,” the official said. 
The 7th Pay Commission had recommended a hike of 14.27 per cent in basic pay of central government employees, raising minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 a month and maximum basic pay from Rs 80,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh with a fitment factor of 2.57. However, the central government employees demanded a raise in minimum pay from Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000 and fitment factor 3.68 times from 2.57 times, making the rise beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Following the demands beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, the central government officials had also threatened to go on an indefinite strike over pay hike on July 11, 2016.