PM Approves 7th Pay Commission

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given his assent for the setting up of the seventh Central Pay Commission. According to reports, Finance Minister P Chidambaram confirmed this on Wednesday.

The names of the members of the commission have not yet been revealed. It is expected that the chairperson and members, along with points of reference of the commission's undertakings, will be announced shortly.

The report could take about two years to be written, making January 1, 2016 the likeliest date for the recommendations of the commission to take effect from.

The sixth Central Pay Commission recommendations were implemented from January 1, 2006.

Employees finally got their second arrears

The government on Tuesday ordered release of the second instalment of arrears due to employees and pensioners on account of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.

The decision will benefit 3.3 million employees and 4 million pensioners on the civilian side besides uniformed defence service personnel.

Government servants employed after January 2004 -- when the new contributory pension scheme came into force -- would, however, have to submit the form for registering under the new scheme to get their arrears. Employees are also advised put this money into GPF.

view detailed order here http://persmin.gov.in/WriteData/CircularNotification/ScanDocument/Pension/38-37-08_p&pw(A)25082009.pdf

Lt. Gens get higher pay band

Giving in to a long-standing demand of the Armed Forces, the Government on Friday approved placing of Lt Gen and equivalent officers to the highest pay band of HAG-plus (Higher Administrative Grade). Acting on a demand of the Armed Forces, the Government passed orders placing 33% of Lt. Gene quivalent officers in the highest pay band, thus making them equivalent to Director General-level IPS officers.

With the new order, close to 50 of the senior-most officers of the three forces will now get salaries in the highest pay band (PB-4A). Earlier, the Armed Forces had objected to the pay structure that put Director General-level IPS officers in a higher pay-scale.

While details will be worked out, thes enior-most 33 per cent of all Lt Gen level officers will benefit from the order. This was one of the four major anomalies that had been pointed out by the Armed Forces in the Sixth Pay Commission.

Sources said the issue was taken up aggressively by the Ministry of Defence after it was put forward by the Armed Forces earlier this year. The forces had sent a letter to the Defence Secretary in January, requesting him to take up the matter with the Government.

They had argued that Lt Generals need to be placed in the Higher Administrative Grade (HAG)Plus pay-scales to give them parity with DGl evel officers of the IPS. The logic given was that till the last pay commission, Lt Gen and DGP-level offices had the same status and by moving the IPS officer to HAG plus, the status of the Armed Forces has been lowered.

With this new order, the Prime Minister’s Office has accepted three of the four demands relating to the pay panel that had been put forward by the Defence Ministry. The demand for placing Lt Colonels in a higher pay band and increasing the pensionary weightage forj awans has already been accepted by the Government.

Now CPWD Engineers want salary parity

After ex-servicemen, it is now the turn of CPWD engineers to register their disgruntlement over lack of pay parity with other all India services like IAS and IFS.

In a letter to the PM, the Central Engineering Services Group A Association has talked about the disconnect between the crucial role of engineers in making Congress’s development poll plank a reality, their importance for preparation of Commonwealth Games and the fact that their demands have been pending for so long. ‘‘The present election is being fought on the plank of development. It is rather unfortunate that the officers in government who have been contributing in development on a very rich scale are getting neglected and are demoralized progressively,’’ the letter dated April 13 reads.

The sixth pay commission had recommended pay parity for engineers with other services with a twoyear gap and the government had accepted that recommendation in August last year but a formal order is yet to be implemented.

(Time of India, Delhi - 15/04/2009)

Armed Forces want Lt.Gen be equate with DGP level

With the issue of higher pay for Lieutenant Colonels resolved, the Armed Forces have written another letter to the Defence Ministry asking for clarification on their demand of equating Lt. Gen. and equivalent officers with Director General-level IPS officers.

The letter, sent to the Defence Secretary last month, says it is necessary to place Lt Gens in the Higher Adminis trative Grade (HAG) plus pay scales to give them parity with DG level officers of the IPS. The logic given is that till now, Lt Gen and DGP level offices had the same status and by moving the IPS officer to HAG plus, the status of the Armed Forces has been lowered.

The letter has been sent by the Principal Personnel Officers Committee (PPOC) to the Defence Secretary and contains a detailed argument, including the status of the two services from the Third Pay Commission onwards.

The Armed Forces say that level of work and responsibility shouldered by a Lt Gen is much more than that of a DGP and the two should at least be treated as equals.

“The senior-most DGP in a state has lesser number of people under his command and lower responsibilities than the junior most Lt Gen who will go and command a Corps. It is unfair that the Armed Forces officer will be treated lower than a DGP,” a senior officer said.

Indian Express dated 07/02/09 Delhi edition