Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations: When Mayawati can do it, what is stopping Narendra Modi?

Gandhinagar, August 21 Over 10 lakh state employees get edgy with the government’s silent stance over implementation of 6th Pay Panel recommendations

Over 10 lakh government employees, including 3.21 lakh pensioners in Gujarat continue to keep their fingers crossed as the Modi Government continues to maintain a stoic silence over how it is going to implement the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations.

After a week-long wait, the various government employees’ unions on Thursday demanded that the state government immediately announce its intention on how and when it will implement the recommendations.

Today evening, office-bearers of the Gujarat State Employees' Federation handed over a memorandum to the office of the state Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala and demanded that the government make an announcement on its decision on the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.

“If Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati can accept the Pay Commission’s recommendations for her government employees, what is preventing our Chief Minister from doing the same," said Vishnubhai Patel, general secretary of the Federation.

He demanded that the Cabinet sub-committee headed by Vala, which was set up recently to study the Commission’s recommendations, should immediately call a meeting to thrash out the issue.

“As claimed by the government, Gujarat's growth rate is pegged at 12 per cent as of now. Besides, the revenue from VAT has also been increasing. This means the state’s finances are in a good position. As such, the government should not have any problem to take the additional burden it may have to shoulder while implementing the Pay Commission’s recommendations,” Patel added.

A senior official in the Finance Department said that the government may have to entail an additional burden of over Rs 1,800 crore annually if it decides to accept the recommendations in toto. Considering the revenue buoyancy and the growth rate of 12 per cent in the state, the government can easily shoulder this additional financial burden after implementing the recommendations, he added.

Minister of State for Finance Saurabh Patel remained non-committal on the issue. He said: “The government is still awaiting an official report from the Centre on the Pay Commission’s recommendations. The state Cabinet sub-committee will study the same before taking any decision on how to implement the recommendations for government employees in Gujarat.”


Source: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/When-Mayawati-can-do-it-what-is-stopping-Narendra-Modi/351911/