Saturday, August 30, 2008

Govt rejects four pay panel suggestions

at 1:12 AM

Four recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, including only three closed
holidays for government employees, flexi-hours for women and flexi-weeks for
the disabled, have been rejected, says the official notification and resolution
of the revised central government pay rules, issued on Friday night.

The proposal to provide a liberal severance package to those employees who

wish to leave service between 15 years and 20 years without taking pension has
also been rejected.

The government will also examine as many as 10 recommendations, including

granting bonus and overtime allowance, corporatising Indian Railways,
abolishing the Indian Telecom Service and the Telecom Commission and
introduction of a health insurance scheme for central government employees
and pensioners, the resolution states.

The proposal to outsource the process of commutation of pension to a public

sector bank or institution will also be looked into separately. No time frame has
been specified for the same.

The government has also notified the improved and modified three pay bands,
and changed grade pays. It has also notified the additional increment of 3 per
cent to Indian Administrative Service and Indian Foreign Service officers over
other services in three grades. The dearness allowance has been made
effective from January 1, 2006.

The resolution makes it clear that the chairpersons and members of five
regulators — Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority (Irda), Central Electricity Regulatory Commission
(CERC), Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and Competition
Commission of India (CCI) — will receive Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh per month,
respectively.

On August 14, the Union Cabinet had approved an improved version of the Sixth
Pay Commission award with effect from January 1, 2006.

Consequently, an estimated 4.6 million central employees will receive a raise

of between 28 per cent and 40 per cent over their existing basic pay.
Employees will start receiving their higher salaries and allowances with effect
from September this year.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Govt notifies sixth Pay Panel report
at 10:46 PM

Over 50 lakh government employees, including the armed forces personnel, will
be receiving an enhanced pay packet beginning September 1, with the
government today notifying the revised recommendations of the Sixth Central
Pay Commission (CPC).

The much-awaited CPC proposals had received a seal of approval from the
union cabinet a fortnight ago after it amended certain recommendations of the
Justice Sri Krishna-led Pay Commission that submitted its report to the
government on March 24 this year.

The CPC recommendations and the subsequent government decision with

regard to revised scales of pay and dearness allowance for civilian employees
of the central government would be made retrospectively effective from
January 1, 2006, the notification said.

However, the revised allowances, other than dearness allowance, would be

effective only from September 1 this year. On payment of arrears, the
government has modified to the extent that the arrears would be paid in cash
in two installments - first installment of 40 per cent this financial year (2008-
09) and the remaining 60 per cent in the next financial year (2009-10).