New Delhi, Mar 16: Central government employees have been demanding a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission or 7th CPC since the government approved revised salary structure. Due to contradicting reports, uncertainty hangs over the fate of a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. There are some factors that may have delayed the announcement of hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) was against the National Anomaly Committee’s (NAC) proposal to hike the minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, it had been learnt earlier. The NAC had recommended a minimum pay of Rs 21,000 from the existing 18,000 with fitment factor of 3.00 instead of the existing 2.57 times, beyond what has been recommended in the 7th Pay Commission. After DoPT’s reported objection, the revelation of several bank frauds in recent months might have delayed higher minimum pay.
Reserve Bank of India’s data from April 2013 to June 2016 shows that a total of Rs 2,450 crore was lost to 1,232 bank frauds of Rs 1 lakh and more where bank employees were involved. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had promised to raise minimum pay from Rs 18,000, which was recommended by the 7th Pay Commission and approved by the Cabinet. Jaitley is facing a dilemma on the subject of the announcement of pay hike beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, said a Sen Times report.
The government had approved the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission in June 2016 raising minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 month with fitment factor 2.57 times. The central government employees, however, have sought a raise in minimum pay from Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000 and fitment factor 3.68 times from 2.57 times.
Published Date: March 16, 2018 8:00 AM IST