7th Pay Commission: As big day looms, central government employees keep fingers crossed

7th Pay Commission: The general elections are around the corner and the Narendra Modi government has less than a year's time to serve before it goes to polls. The year is very crucial for the government. It has to placate all the sections of the society. This time the government may turn its eye to central government employees who are demanding minimum pay and fitment factor hike for long. If their demands are met, it will benefit around 50 lakh employees and a similar number of pensioners most likely. 

These employees are demanding their pay be increased by boosting the fitment factor to 3.68 percent from the current level of 2.57 per cent and minimum pay to Rs 26,000 from the current level of Rs 18,000. All eyes are as such Independence Day for a big announcement. These employees are hoping against hope for a favourable response from the government. 

These employees say that since inflation has gone up substantially, the salary hike that the government has given under the 7th Pay Commission is not significant enough as prices have increased by leaps and bounds. They want pay hike beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations.

Last month the Haryana government had hiked the pay of the guest teachers. Many expect that the government might placate the central government employees with sops ahead of elections 2019.

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The Narendra Modi government this year has given a salary and pension hikes to university employees and ex-employees. Now, it is remained to be seen how the government goes on this issue.