7th CPC News : Short Description about Sixth Pay Commission

Before discuss about the VII pay commission let us see about sixth pay commission…

Initially the then government refused to set up sixth pay commission to review the pay and allowances of central government employees. The then finance minister told that there was no need to constitute next pay commission since 50 % dearness allowance was already merged with the basic pay. The employees had threatened to go on a nationwide strike if the government failed to set up 6th pay commission. In July 2006, the Cabinet approved setting up of the sixth pay commission. This commission has been set up under the Chairmanship of Justice B.N.Srikrishna with a timeframe of 18 months to submit the report. The cost of hikes in salaries is anticipated to be about Rs. 20,000 crore for a total of 3.5 million government employees. The commission submitted the Report to the Government on March, 24, 2008.

The Fifth CPC had compressed many scales. The number of pay scales was reduced from 51 pay scales as on 31.12.1995 to 34 pay scales by the Fifth CPC. In many cases, this led to the promotion and feeder cadres being placed in an identical pay scale. Although Department of Expenditure issued orders that existence of the feeder and promotion posts in the same pay scale will not constitute an anomaly, however, these orders have consistently been rejected by the various courts of this country. The sixth pay Commission, therefore, decided to evolve a new system of pay scales that would effectively address most of the existing anomalies.

To remove stagnation, introduction of running pay bands for all posts in the Government presently existing in scales below that of Rs.26,000 (fixed).

The total number of grades reduced to 20 spread across four distinct running pay bands; one Apex Scale and another grade for the post of Cabinet Secretary/equivalent as against 35 standard pay scales existing earlier.

Four distinct running pay bands being recommended – one running band each for all categories of employees in groups ‘B ’and ‘C ’with 2 running pay bands for Group A posts.

Annual increments to be paid in form of three percent of the total of pay in the Pay Band and the corresponding grade pay. The date of annual increments, in all cases, is first of July. Employees completing six months and above in the scale as on July 1 will be eligible.

The revised pay bands have been implemented retrospectively from 1.1.2006. The Fifth CPC also had recommended implementation of the next Pay Commission’s revised pay scales from 1.1.2006. This was also in consonance with demands of a majority of the Associations of Government employees that had sought implementation of Sixth CPC revised pay scales from 1.1.2006.

 Minimum salary at the entry level of PB-1 pay band is Rs.7000 (Rs.5200 as pay in the pay band plus Rs.1800 as grade pay). Maximum salary at the level of Secretary/equivalent is Rs.80000. The minimum: maximum ratio 1:12. The increase from V CPC to VI CPC in all grades starts from 2.4 times to 3.7 times. The increase ratio between 5th pay commission and 6th pay commission is 1:3.