Deadline to fix pay panel anomalies extended yet again
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 6
The Centre has yet again extended the deadlines for receipt and disposal of complaints or memoranda from employees on anomalies relating to the Seventh Pay Commission by nine months. This is the sixth such extension and also the longest.
The time limit for receipt of anomalies has been extended from August 15, 2017, to May 15, while the time limit for disposal of anomalies has been extended from February 15, 2018 to November 15, 2018, according to orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on May 1.
The Seventh Pay Commission was implemented with effect from January 1, 2016, and is applicable to around 50 lakh central employees across all hierarchical levels, including the armed forces, who saw upward salary revisions. Recommendations of the central pay commission also form the basis for pay panels set up by state governments for their respective employees.
When salaries and allowances were re-fixed in accordance with broad recommendations, sections of employees had raised issues of certain anomalies and disparities cropping up that placed them at a financial or administrative disadvantage.
The armed forces, too, had pointed out a number of serious anomalies that not only pertained to salary fixation and allowances but which also had a detrimental effect on status, civil-military relations and morale.
The DoPT had directed all central departments to set up committees consisting of staff representatives as well as seniors officials to look into various pay-related anomalies. While some anomalies were at the national level affecting all employees of a particular cadre or rank, certain issues were department-specific. Specific anomalies involving two or more government departments are being dealt with by the National Anomalies Committee.
