Panel for doing away with special pay

Chandigarh, May 4

While the state government has hailed the report as a major bonanza for the employees and retirees, the Sixth Pay Commission has “recommended abolition of all types of special pay and any add-ons in the basic pay by any nomenclature”.

This means special pay scales revised by a Cabinet sub-committee, formed by the previous Akali-BJP government in 2011, have been recommended to be set aside and the new pay scales to be implemented now will be based on the scales and grade pay recommended in the Fifth Pay Commission in 2006.

“If this is done, it will be unacceptable. But we have yet to examine the report,” said Sukhchain Khera, convener, Sanjha Mulazzam Manch, an umbrella body of government employees.

Almost 70% of the state government employees had been given enhanced pay scales in 2011, over and above what was recommended by the Fifth Pay Commission of 2006.

Certain allowances of employees have also been rationalised in the recommendations, which could lead to heartburn amongst employees. Thakur Singh, convener, Punjab Government Pensioners Joint Front, said the pension has been revised by multiplying the previous scale by 2.59, which would give them lesser benefit in hike as compared to even Class IV employees. “Also, the 25 years in service criteria fixed for the pensioners to get 50% of last pay drawn as pension, was not in consonance with the central pay commissions, where the minimum service criteria is 20 years. These anomalies will have to be dealt with,” he said. — TNS