The Mizoram government has decided to set up a committee to study the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations even as it agreed in principle to implement it in the state.

This was decided at a meeting of the Council of Ministers last evening.

The 42,457 regular state government employees would require additional allocation of Rs 563 crore annually if the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations were implemented, state finance department officials said.

Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma said that at present, 36-37 per cent of the total state annual budget is used for paying off the salaries of the state government employees.

The expenditure on salaries did not include the salaries of employees of Lai, Mara and Chakma autonomous district councils, teachers working in deficit schools and contract and muster roll workers, Lalmalsawma said.

The meeting also approved the proposal for creation of 629 new posts for the proposed establishment of the lone Medical College – Mizoram Institute of Medical Education and Research (MIMER) – at the Falkawn village near Aizawl.

PTI

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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
RAILWAY BOARD

No.E(G) 2017 / AD 1-1

RBE No. 52/2017

New Delhi, dated 30.05.2017

The General Managers & FA&CAOs,
All Indian Railways &
Production Units etc.
(as per standard mailing list)

Sub: Grant of Advances – Seventh Central Pay Commission recommendations – Discontinuance of Natural Calamity Advance.

The Seventh Central Pay Commission vide Para 9.1.4 had recommended that all the interest-free advances being granted to the Central Government employees should be abolished. The Government’s decision in this regard has been conveyed by the Ministry of Finance vide their OM No.12(1)E.II(A)/2016 dated 07.10.2016. According to the instructions contained therein, the Natural Calamity Advance in addition to six other advances has been abolished.

2.The Government’s decision in respect of abolition of advance of Natural Calamity Advance has been considered by the Ministry of Railways in consultation with Finance Directorate. It has been decided to abolish Natural Calamity advance w.e.f. 07.10.2016. The cases where the advances have already been sanctioned need not be reopened.

3.The provisions in respect of Natural Calamity Advance are contained in paras 1123 and 1123(A) of Indian Railway Establishment Manual (IREM) Volume-I. In view of the above, it is directed that paras 1123 and 1123 (A) of IREM may be amended as in the enclosed Advance Correction Slip No.238.

4.This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.

5.Please acknowledge receipt.

DA: Correction Slip.

S/d,
(D.Joseph)
Dy.Dir./E(G) III
Railway Board

ADVANCE CORRECTION SLIP TO THE INDIAN RAILWAY ESTABLISHMENT

MANUAL VOLUME-I

Advance Correction Slip No.238.

The following amendments may be made to Para 1123 and 1123(A) of the Indian Railway Establishment Manual, Volume-I

Para 1123 and 1123(A) may be substituted as under:

Para 1123 and 1123(A) Natural Calamity Advance

The provisions stand deleted as the advance in this regard has been abolished by the Seventh Pay Commission.

(Authority : Railway Board’s letter No.E(G)2017/AD 1-1 dated 30/05/2017)

Source: NFIR

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New Delhi: Central government employees’ will not to go on strike on May 23 in protest at the “government inaction” on fulfilling their demands, including hike in allowance as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations.

No central government office will be closed at any part of the country and the trains will also be running on May 23.

The Confederation of central government employees, has temporarily postponed the strike scheduled on May 23 following assurance of government to hike allowances shortly.

“The strike has been put on hold for now following the assurance of government. However, the confederation will make sure that the genuine demands of the employees are met with,” a top leader of confederation, who did not wish to be named told us.

“In view of government’s assurance to hike allowances shortly, our strike on May 23 stands deferred,” he added.

The Confederation of central government employees had given the strike call protesting against the delay in allowance hike as per the revised 7th Pay Commission recommendations.

The confederation is opposed to the government’s delaying tactics to hike allowances of central government employee.

After the government implemented the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission from January 1, 2016 in respect of basic pay and dearness allowances, the Committee on Allowances, headed by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa was constituted in June last year.

The 7th Pay Commission had recommended that of a total of 196 allowances, 52 be abolished altogether and 36 be abolished as separate identities by subsuming them in another allowance, which triggered resentment among central government employees that governments complied with formation of the Committee on Allowances.

The Committee on Allowances had submitted its report to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on April 27.

The report is being currently examined by the Department of Expenditure. It will be placed before the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) set up to screen the 7th Pay Commission recommendations and to firm up the proposal for approval of the Cabinet.

The central government employees now get all allowances except dearness allowance at the old rates until the cabinet approval of higher allowances.

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New Delhi: Central government employees will get higher allowances according to the 7th Pay Commission recommendations from April 1, a senior finance ministry official said.

The employees will get their April salaries with higher allowances in accordance with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, he told our reporter at the finance ministry on Monday.

Everything is decided. The Cabinet and the prime minister have to approve the Committee on Allowances report. The finance ministry has no reason to raise any question on the report of committee on allowances, he added.

He said the process to implement the higher allowances would be completed soon.

The central government approved the 7th Pay Commission scale for its employees in June, offering a highest basic pay of Rs 2.5 lakh and a minimum of Rs 18,000.

The new basic pay has been given in August 2016 with arrears, effective from January 1, 2016. The allowances, however, other than dearness allowance referred to the Committee on Allowances headed by the Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa in July 2016, for examination as the pay commission had recommended of abolishing 51 allowances and subsuming 37 others out of 196 allowances.

Accordingly, existing allowances are now paid to the employees according to the 6th Pay Commission recommendations until issuing of higher allowances notification.

The Committee on Allowances was initially given a time of four months to submit its report to the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

In October last year, Ashok Lavasa was quoted by some media outlets as saying he was ready with the report.

But the government gave extension to the committee up to February 22, 2017 on the pretext of demonetisation and the government said that the cash crunch was the reason behind the delay in announcing higher allowances.

The announcement of assembly elections in five states has given another excuse for the government as it cannot announce allowances hike till the model code of conduct is in place up to March 8.

The finance ministry official said the Committee on Allowances report states the current House Rent allowance (HRA) slab, which is 30 per cent of basic pay, for metros for employees. An announcement on the same is expected soon but no hike in Transport Allowance (TPTA) for central government employees in its report and the Transport Allowance will remain the same as 6th Pay Commission recommendations.

However, the pay panel had recommended that HRA be paid at the rate of 24 per cent, 16 per cent and 8 per cent of the new basic pay for Class X (metros), Y and Z cities, respectively.

TST

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7th CPC Allowance Committee Report Submitted to the Government or not?

Was the 7th CPC Allowance Committee Report submitted to the government as early as February 22?

A high-level committee, under the chairmanship of Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa was constituted by the Central Government to review the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations regarding the allowances being given to the Central Government employees. According to information, the committee had already submitted its report on February 22.

Irrespective of who possesses the report now – the committee or the government – what is more intriguing is the recommendations that it contains.

One could see that the 7th Pay Commission suggested either rationalization or simplification at many places. An example is the Pay Matrix Table, which has now brought the entire Pay Structure of more than 35 lakh employees under one Table. Although there are some anomalies, the system has dramatically simplified the process of annual increment calculation and also pay fixation on Promotion or MACP.

At present 196 different kinds of allowances are being given to the Central Government employees. Some modifications have been recommended in these too as part of the rationalization and simplification drive. The Seventh Pay Commission has recommended the abolition of 52 allowances. And another 36 allowances have been abolished as separate identities, but subsumed either in an existing allowance or in newly proposed allowances.

The Commission said that the entire range of allowances is administered in broadly four ways. Fully DA indexed Allowances, Partially or Semi DA indexed Allowances, No DA indexation Allowances and Percentage based Allowances. House Rent Allowance is being under the category of Percentage based Allowances. The Commission also said that the compensation towards the housing needs of Central Government employees is covered in many ways. The Commission finally suggested that the percentage based allowances by a factor of 0.8, the Commission recommends that HRA should be rationalized to 24 percent, 16 percent and 8 percent of the Basic Pay for Class X, Y and Z cities respectively.

The big irritation, or rather disappointment to the Central Government employees was the recommendation to reduce the percentage of House Rent Allowance (HRA).

All trade unions have expressed their harsh opposition to the proposed cuts in HRA. The Central Government employees’ Federations also expressed their disappointment through various protest. Finally the Central Government accepted to constitute a high level committee to examine the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission regarding Allowances.

Now, sources claim that the committee has already submitted its report to the government.

The government can announce its final decision on the recommendations of the committee any day. But, many believe that there could be a delay in the announcements due to the state elections that are being held in various parts of the country and the election commission’s guidelines that are being enforced now.

Unconfirmed reports say that the committee has recommended the percentage rates of HRA as per 6th CPC and changes in the method of calculating Transport Allowances also.

The biggest mystery however is – will these recommendations be given retrospective effect and will arrears be given?

Three dates are currently being suggested – January 1, 2016; August 1, 2016; and April 1, 2017.

Only the Central Government has all the answers right now.

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Setting up of Anomaly Committee to settle the anomalies arising out of the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commissions recommendations.

No.11/2/2016-JCA
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training
Establishment JCA Section

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 20th February, 2017

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Setting up of Anomaly Committee to settle the anomalies arising out of the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations.

The undersigned is directed to refer to DoPT’s OM of even number dated 16/8/2016 and to incorporate the following modification in the definition of anomaly:

“Where the Official Side and the Staff Side are of the opinion that the vertical and horizontal relativities have been disturbed as a result of the 7th Central Pay Commission to give rise to anomalous situation.”

2. With the incorporation of the above para in the O.M., the definition of anomaly will read as follows:

(1) Definition of Anomaly
Anomaly will include the following cases;

a) Where the Official Side and the Staff Side are of the opinion that any recommendation is in contravention of the principle or the policy enunciated by the Sixth Central Pay Commission itself without the Commission assigning any reason;

b) Where the maximum of the Level in the Pay Matrix corresponding to the applicable Grade Pay in the Pay Band under the pre-revised structure as notified vide CCS(RP Rules 2016, is less than the amount an employee is entitled to be fixed at, as per the formula for fixation of pay contained in the said Rules;

c) Where the Official side and the Staff Side are of the opinion that the vertical and horizontal relativities have been disturbed as a result of the 7th Central Pay Commission to give rise to anomalous situation.

3. The rest of the content of the O.M. dated 16.08.2016 shall remain unchanged.

sd/-
(D.K.Sengupta)
Deputy Secretary (JCA)

Click to view the order

Authority: http://dopt.gov.in/

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New Delhi: Despite all that has been said about the higher allowances under the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, an important issue for central government employees has now been strangely absent from the government agenda.

First, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had claimed it must implement after four months of the basic pay hike but it failed to come true.

More than 14 to 15 months have passed since the 7th pay commission report was submitted and seven months have elapsed since the union cabinet approved the 7th Pay Commission recommendations for salary hike of central government employees, but the they are still awaiting the higher allowances.

The government has given higher basic pay in August 2016 with arrears, effective from January 1, 2016 to its employees on the recommendations of the 7th pay commission but the hike in allowances other than dearness allowance referred to the ‘Committee on Allowances’ headed by the Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa for examination as the pay commission had recommended of abolishing 51 allowances and subsuming 37 others out of 196 allowances.

Accordingly, existing allowances are now paid to the central government employees according to the 6th Pay Commission recommendations until issuing of higher allowances notification.

Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa said in October 2016, “We are ready to submit our report, when the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley calls up.”

But the government gave extension to the committee up to February 22, 2017 on the pretext of demonetisation and the government said that the cash crunch was the reason behind the delay in announcing higher allowances.

The announcement of assembly elections in five states has given an excuse for the government as it cannot announce pay hikes till the model code of conduct is in place up to March 8.

The government is using delaying tactics to save the government money to pay higher allowances without arrears from August 16.

The delay in implementation of the higher allowances has caused tremendous irritation and frustration among employees.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP may have to face a backlash in the assembly elections in the five states, two of which is ruled by the party either directly or in alliance. Thus, not properly implementing of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations would amount to strike to blow to the BJP in polls.

TST

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The Finance Ministry official involved with the process of higher allowances on condition of anonymity, told that the Govt is facing the classic dilemma on the subject of issuing of notification of higher allowances under 7th pay commission recommendations.

“The October-November month is the scheduled for issuing notification for the Finance Ministry, but the time was extended by 2 months because the cash crunch on account of demonetisation, which is taking time to get normality.

“The Finance Ministry has got 2 months extension to issue the higher allowances notification under 7th Pay Commission recommendations”, a Finance Ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

Therefor,unless the banks can begin to function with a modicum of efficiency, the government will not issue notification on higher allowances to save demonetisation chaos,” the sources added.

The sources further added “the issue of increased financial activities after demonetisation compels the govt to keep in abeyance to issue higher allowances notification for getting normalized the position and it is likely to issue from January next, after the the cash crunch will ease. (‘Hopefully’).

As the demonetisation drive today completes 30 days, cash situation continues to stay critical in the country as evident by the unending queues outside banks and a few operational ATMs.

“The government dilemma in relation to issuing higher allowances notification will make to force central government employees to stand in long queues,” the official said. “That is the dilemma, the government is trying to work through.”

“The committee on Allowances has finalized the proposal on the allowances but the government is not interested to do it now,” an official said. “The government will decide to review all situation in respect of cash crunch, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is looking at all situations to normalize cash crunch, only then he will receive report on higher allowances.” sources added.

However, the committee on allowances head by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa said in October, “We are ready to submit our report, when the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley calls up.”

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Report says that a top official of the finance ministry today told on condition of anonymity that Central government employees salaries for January will be in line with the higher allowances.

When asked whether the arrears would be paid too, he said, “This depends on the cabinet. If the cabinet gives the nod higher allowances with retrospective effect from August 2016, the arrears will be paid.”

“The government faces severe attack for cash crunch because of demonetisation. But the situation will return to normalcy after the deadline of December 30 for deposit of invalid Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.”

He added, “It’s better if delayed till sufficient cash is available with the banks.”

The government in June approved the 7th Pay Commission recommendations for its employees with higher basic pay, which has been paid with arrears, effective from January 1, 2016 but the hike in allowances other than dearness allowance referred to the ‘Committee on Allowances’ headed by the Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa for examination as as the pay commission had recommended of abolishing 51 allowances and subsuming 37 others out of 196 allowances.

Until acceptance of higher allowances, existing allowances are to be paid according to the 6th Pay Commission recommendations, says an earlier official statement issued by the finance ministry.

However, the committee on allowances head Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa said recently, “We are ready to submit our report, when the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley calls up.”

Source: tkbsen.in

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New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said there was a spike in bank deposits only in September during the last one year, largely due to the 7th Pay Commission arrears being released in August.

The FM was addressing a press conference here on the current demonetization move.

The 4.8 million central government employees and 5.2 million pensioners got theirs arrears of basic pay and pension arising from implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations in one go in August salaries and pension respectively. The hike in basic pay and pension has been made effective from January 1, 2016.

Jaitley said it is a massive operation to replace 86 per cent of currency under circulation. The SBI alone had done Rs 2.28 crore transactions in the past two days; the total banking transactions were around five times of that, he added.

The minister said the SBI alone had got Rs 47,868 crore deposits in the past two days; total deposits in all the banks must be around Rs 2 lakh crore to Rs 2.25 lakh crore, he added.

The RBI bank currency chests numbering 4,000 had enough currency stocks, Jaitley assured.

The Finance Minister appealed to the people to stagger depositing the defunct currency and not to crowd the banks.
He said it would take two to three weeks to re-calibrate two lakh ATMs to vend out new Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes.

He said stock details had been sought from jewellers on reports of dealings in defunct currency, adding that the government would not allow any illegal transaction in bullion.

He said the supposed chip in the Rs 2,000 note and digital lockers were mere rumours.

Inputs with PTI

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