Worst pay hike in history of independent India, says Congress

New Delhi, June 30

Dubbing the Centre’s recommendations on the Seventh Pay Commission as “disappointing”, the Congress has said it is the worst pay hike in the history of Independent India.

“The pay hike is a mere 15 per cent on the basic pay, compared to 23.5 percent, which is being falsely claimed by the Central government. It is the lowest hike in last 70 years, that is since Independence,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

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Asserting that the Congress had always stood for the workers of India, Surjewala said the pay hike reflected the mal-intent and lack of sincerity of the NDA government.

He asserted that over 98 lakh Central government employees felt disillusioned and let down by the Modi government’s lopsided and tardy implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission in the time of runaway inflation and high prices.

“The Seventh Pay Commission was set up by the Congress government led by Manmohan Singh in September 2014. The then finance minister Chidambaram had announced that it would be implemented by January 2016. Incidentally, the BJP had rejected in 2003 the constitution of the Fifth Pay Commission,” he said.

Surjewala said, “When the Sixth Pay Commission was implemented by the Congress government, it recommended a hike of 20 per cent. But the Congress government had given unilaterally a hike of over 40 per cent. Here the Seventh Pay Commission recommended a hike of 14.29 per cent, but the Modi government gave 15 per cent. Why this? Modiji needs to answer,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (United) said the people are unhappy with the increase in salaries and pension recommended by the commission because the government had failed to rein in inflation.

JD (U) leader Pawan Verma said certain amount of dissatisfaction is usually there with every pay commission, but the current recommendations had been worst in the last 17 years.

“People are unhappy, especially those working in lower levels in the government because inflation has gone up. The price rise has kept the benefits of the pay commission from reaching people,” Verma said.

“There is also a gap between those serving at higher posts and those at lower posts. That is why unions are opposing it,” he added. — ANI