It's advantage cops, defence forces after pay revision

NEW DELHI: Government employees will see their salaries, including allowances, increase in the range of 25% to 50% following the adoption of the revised sixth pay commission (SPC). In some instances, the hike may well work out to over 75%. The revision of the fitment from a multiplication factor of 1.74, recommended by the SPC, to 1.86 will benefit all employees.

The middle-level officers, in the rank of director, have also received a better deal. This level had the lowest increase in the salary in the initial recommendations of the pay commission.

Since most government employees tend to avail government accommodation, the right benchmark for evaluating the SPC award is to exclude HRA from the calculations. The tentative calculations (the pay bands are still being worked out) show that the increase ranges from 25% to 50% with some outliers on the higher side, sources said.

The substantial increase in allowances, transport for one, has helped amplify the increase at lower levels. In the case of directors with the central government, for instance , the transport allowance has increased from Rs 800 to Rs 7,500.

This has taken their percentage increase higher. This increase is not evident in the case joint secretary onwards as they are entitled to government vehicle and therefore would not be getting transport allowance. It is important to note that these allowances are not considered part of the salary while computing increments.

The modifications approved by the government in the Sixth Pay Commission (SPC) award appear to have benefited the police and defence forces the most. One of the modification proposed creates in each state cadre one post of Director General of Police (DGP) and one post of PCCF in Forest Services at the apex Rs 80,000 levels.

This means that a chief secretary in the states would no longer be the top most administrative officer, he will have two more, one in police and one in forest, at his level. In effect , numbers would be more as states often change DGs, which would create more than one police officer at the highest rank as the grade once given cannot be withdrawn . This could cause, according to source, some problem in administration at the state level.

The government has also glossed over the recommendation that no government employee should work as a household help.

Defence has also benefited as most of their suggestions have been incorporated. Against the two assured promotions demanded, they have got at least three. Also, the suggestions on military service pay have been accepted. Defence personnel below officer rank will now get Rs 2,000, against Rs 1,000. This is however lower than the their demand of Rs 3,000.

Meanwhile, the elite IAS and IFS services have seen some of their edge over other central services eroded. The higher grade pay available to these services have been abolished. Besides, they will now get senior pay scale only after 16 years of service as opposed to 14 years earlier.

In the scheme proposed 33 pay scales have been compressed into four pay bands — PB-1 , PB-2 , PB-3 , and PB-4 . The new systems should effectively address all anomalies relating to pay fixation. Most of the salary-related anomalies arise during pay fixation at the time of promotion . In the new system, seniority will be decided on the basis of grade pay drawn.

So, at the time of promotion, the employee would get a higher grade pay and one additional increment. There would not be any fresh salary fixation. Only in the case of promotion from one running scale to another, there will be a salary fixation.

It would also address seniority-related disputes that were common earlier as pay scales were a consideration in deciding seniority.


Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com