7th Pay Commission: Basic pay hike in the works for low level government servants

7th Pay Commission provided a big hike in salaries for government employees, but the pay scales from 1 to 5 by their very nature ensured the hikes at the top were the maximum. However, at the lower level too the government took care to ensure a decent lifestyle could be maintained by its staff. However, over and above that, the government is mulling a hike in basic pay at the lowest levels and some are expecting the same to definitely happen. And what is this all about? It has been indicated by various reports that the minimum salary hike would boost the pay over the current Rs 18,000 courtesy a fitment factor hike over and above the 2.57 times that was earlier recommended. What is being asked is that the hike happen at a larger level. The government on its part has hinted it may do that, but what it has in mind is to raise pay by 3.00 times to Rs 21,000. But that will not make anyone concerned happy. What they want is a jump in pay to Rs 26,000 courtesy a hike by as much as 3.68 times (fitment factor). The deadline is already down to just a month away. The decision is set to come in April and the days leading up to it are being used for lobbying by various interest groups. So, from Railways unions to Delhi University teachers unions, many have held protests to highlight their plight and put pressure on government. Whether this will work or not is still unclear.

So, even though the 7th Pay Commission panel had looked at all things to recommend a particular hike, yet it has not made the beneficiaries satisfied. They say that this hike has been the least since Independence.

The panel recommendations, based on solid research and study, will thus, just be shunned. That may also be a reason why the government is mulling doing away with pay commissions. That means the 7th Pay Commission may be the last one.