Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to announce a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission or 7th CPC before the next Lok Sabha elections, said a Sen Times report. It further said the issue of salary hike beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for central government employees and pensioners was delayed due to lack of response from the Finance Ministry.
“The delay in pay hike is due to lack of response from the Finance Ministry to the promise of FM Jaitley over the last two years before finally sending it to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for nod,” the report said quoting sources. Central government employees have been waiting for a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for more than a year.
The report said the BJP government is under pressure following protests over “cash crunch, dilution of SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act and the rape incidents”. In a measure of relief to the central government employees, Arun Jaitley may announce salary hike beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission ahead of the general elections, 2019, the report said.
Just to remind, the Minister of State Finance, P Radhakrishnan, last month, told Rajya Sabha the government was not considering a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.
The 7th Pay Commission had recommended a 14.27 percent hike in basic pay, raising minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 month with fitment factor 2.57 times. However, the central government employees have been asking to raise minimum pay to Rs 26,000 and fitment factor 3.68 times. The government is likely to raise minimum pay to Rs 21,000 from Rs 18,000 and fitment factor to 3.00 times from 2.57 times that were recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.
Source:- IC
