7th Pay Commission: These employees say 60 percent salary hike not enough, demand more from Modi govt

7th pay commission: Narendra Modi government had last month increased the salary of ASHA and Anganwadi workers by 60 per cent. Though a section of workers has thanked Modi government for the hike, the move did not go down well with most of them. Now, the workers have taken an extreme step. This flies in the face of central government employees who are not taking any extreme action and are instead waiting for their pay hike demands to be fulfilled.

Reportedly, dozens of ASHA and Anganwadi workers of Alwar's Kohrapipali village have heckled Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday soon after he laid the foundation stone for an educational institute. The employees have been protesting for days demanding the implementation of the 7th pay commission restoration of original grade pay. 

The workers alleged that neither Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje nor the union government has paid heed to their demands. 

PM Modi had, on September 11, announced that honorarium for Anganwadi workers would be increased to 60 per cent and the remuneration for Asha workers would be doubled from next month. However, even this 60 per cent hike has failed to give the workers' salary at the level of the minimum wage of Rs 200 per day.

"The government has increased the honorarium from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,500 and from Rs 2,200 to Rs 3,500. This still doesn't reach the minimum wage" said Social activist Nikhil Dey to PTI.

On the other hand, many state governments including that of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh have announced the implementation of the 7th pay commission for their employees. 

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The central government employees have been getting the salary as per the seventh pay commission. However, they have been demanding the pay hike over and above the one recommended by 7th CPC report. The central government employees want a pay hike according to the fitment factor of 3.68 times which will set the minimum salary at Rs 26,000 from current Rs 18,000.