BBMB to constitute committee to rationalise employees’ pay scales

The BBMB will constitute a committee comprising of members from all partner states for rationalisation of pay and allowances of all partner state and BBMB employees working in the organisation. The issue was decided in BBMB’s last full board meeting held on July 4. The issue of rationalisation of pay scales could impact thousands of employees working in the organisation.

According to the recently released full-board minutes — a copy of which was available with The Tribune — the BBMB’s special secretary placed an agenda before the Board regarding the rationalisation of pay and allowances within BBMB.

Member Punjab emphasised in the meeting that the pay scales of BBMB should be optimised but not based on the pay structure of Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL). He reiterated that BBMB follows the Punjab Government in all service-related matters and hence, the pay rationalisation should align with Punjab Government norms. He also stressed that the option of choosing any alternate or more lucrative pay scale should not be extended to employees on transfer or deputation from partner states to BBMB.

In the meeting, the BBMB chairman acknowledged the intricacies involved in the matter and proposed the constitution of a committee comprising representatives from all partner states. The Board unanimously agreed to this proposal of constitution of the committee. The committee shall examine the issue of rationalisation of pay and allowances, look into relevant rules and regulations of BBMB and partner states, legal implications of the rationalisation, financial consequences arising out of the proposed changes and any associated administrative and service-related impacts.

Currently, BBMB employs personnel from the partner states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. All employees are allowed to choose the pay scale of any partner state. All have opted for the pay scales of Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) as these are the highest among all partner states. Sources indicate that by adopting PSPCL pay scales, Rajasthan employees receive approximately 30 per cent more pay, and Haryana employees around 20 per cent higher than their counterparts in parent states.

Sources said that during the meeting, the Punjab Government demanded that BBMB employees should receive the pay scales of their parent states instead of being allowed to opt for PSPCL scales. Punjab authorities argued that paying higher scales to all partner-state employees in BBMB was taxing the state as it was contributing approximately 52 per cent of the board’s budget. Additionally, BBMB has its own cadre of Class III and Class IV employees, who have also been receiving PSPCL pay scales and pension benefits accordingly.