PROPOSED PAY SCALE OF 7TH PAY COMMISSION – NC JCM STAFF SIDE

The 5th CPC had introduced transport allowance for employees working in classified towns on account of various factors like unprecedented growth of city limits, increase in volume of traffic and non availability of residential accommodation at reasonable rents near offices, which are usually located in the heart of cities. If these were the factors it appears that the 5th CPC did not take into account that it is usually a low paid employee who finds residence at a very long distance from his office whereas officers are offered residences very near to their offices. If, therefore, transport allowance was meant to defray the transportation charges from residence to office and back the higher rates should have been recommended for the low paid employees who were residing at a distant places. Since the 6th CPC‟s recommendation in this regard was implemented, there had been several rounds of increase in the fuel charges making a cascading impact on the public transport fares.

Taking these factors into account, we suggest that the following rates of transport

allowance may please be recommended.

For the efficient functioning of an institution, the primary pre-requisite is to have a contended workforce. It is not only the emoluments, perks and privileges that motivate an employee to give his best. They are no doubt important. But what is more important is to provide them a systematic career progression.

The present system of career progression available in the All India Services and the organised group A Civil services attracts large number of young, talented and educated persons to compete in the All India Civil Service Examination. No different was the career progression scheme available in the subordinate services in the past.

Persons who were recruited to subordinate services were able to climb to Managerial positions over a period of time. The situation underwent vast changes in the last two decades. In most of the Departments, stagnation has come to stay. It takes decades to be promoted to the next higher grade in the hierarchy. It was the recognition of the lack of promotional avenue in the subordinate services that made the 5th CPC to recommend a time bound two career progression scheme. The three time bound scheme of MACP instead of improving the situation has been found less beneficial and has therefore not gone to address the inherent problem of de-motivation that has crept in due to the high level of stagnation.

In most of the Departments, the exercise of cadre review which was considered important was not carried out. Any attempt in this regard was restricted to Group A services. The discontent amongst the employees in the matter is of high magnitude today. The VII CPC therefore, should recommend that the cadre revies are undertaken wherever not done sofar to ensure five hierarchical promotions to all employees in their career on the pattern obtaining for Group A Officers.

It is the view of he Department of Personnel on classification that has ultimately survived. It may not be out of place to mention that the service condition of Government employees are still governed by the rules enunciated, whether country was a British Colony.

Despite the specific provision in the constitution (Article 309) making it incumbent upon the parliament to enact the legislation to govern the service conditions of civil servants the fact remains that no Government which took over the reins of governance in the country could find time to introduce a Bill in the parliament for that purpose.

It is not therefore surprising that the DOPT stuck to the conservative position of maintaining the status quo. The four grouping which presently refers the classification, we must sadly state has taken the shape and content of “varnashram”. In almost all the PSUs, the classification is “Executive and Non Executives”. In our opinion all cadres, which were characterised as “Gazetted” in 1960s may be placed in the Group of Executive and the rest in non-executive.

The Children Education allowance was introduced w.e.f. 1-9-2008 on the basis of the recommendation of 6th CPC. In the background of escalation of school fees, and other expenses connected with education of Children, the present scheme has been a big relief for the Government employees.

Presently the allowance is admissible for two children, for studying in a recognised school upto XII standard. The maximum ceiling is stipulated at Rs.18000/- since this allowance had been hiked by 50% because of the DA component in salary having been crossed 100% on 1.1.2014. We suggest doubling of this allowance and increasing the same by 50 % whenever the DA crosses over by 50%

The insistence of receipt for each and every expense to claim the allowance is a cumbersome procedure, which serves no purpose at all. In order to avoid a probable misuse, the employer may be asked to produce an affidavit to the effect this child/children were bonafide student of the school. The production of receipt may be dispensed with.