Does Central Government plan to postpone the Annual Increment ?

A message is doing rounds in Social Media and News Channels that Government plans to postpone the Annual Increment for Central Govt Staffs due to coronavirus crisis

DoPT orders is about APAR, not about Annual Increment

Recently DoPT has issued an OM regarding Extending the time limit for recording APAR for Central Government Employees. It has been misconstrued by some media as Salary hike will be postponed consequent to this DoPT order

As Private firms do Performance Review before granting salary hike, News Media might have thought that same is followed in Government Sector. Hence the presumed that extension of Time limit for APAR will lead to postponement of Annual Increment for central Government Employees.

Criteria for Granting Annual Increment in 7th CPC

The Criteria for Annual Increment is Minimum six Month Period of service to be done to be eligible for the Annual Increment. Unlike in Private Sector the Performance of the individual has no role to play in granting of Annual increment in Govt sector. 

But the Seventh Central Pay Commission in Para 5.1.46 of its Report proposed withholding of annual increment in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the benchmark either for Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) or regular promotion within the first 20 years of their service.

The central government has accepted this recommendation 

No relation to extension of APAR and postponement of Annual Increment of central Government Employees

But this Extension of Time limit for recording Annual Performance Appraisal Report is nothing to do with granting of Annual Increment

PIB Fact Check team busted this fake news and clarified that the order relates to APAR completion and deadline extension, not increment. Wrong facts have been explained in the report

PIB Fact Check

Claim: Citing media reports claiming, the central government postponed the wage hike until next year.

Fact Check : The order relates to APAR completion and deadline extension, not increment. Wrong facts have been explained in the report.