7th Pay Commission latest news and top developments over government employees salaries

7th Pay Commission: Even as lakhs of central government employees are expecting increase in their minimum pay and fitment factor hike beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations from this year, there are reports that the government may actually end up providing this big benefit to them ahead of general elections, slated next year at a higher rate than actually recommended. The government may reportedly provide this benefit to all employees, who get salaries from pay matrix level 1 to 5.
 
As this is a long pending issue, the central government employees unions are eagerly waiting for this announcement after June 2016, when they decided to call off their indefinite strike following the pay hike promise of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. They have not taken a strong stance as yet, even though they have let their views be known in no uncertain terms.
 
Meanwhile, let us have a look at the recent development on this front. 
 
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday held a meeting in connection with the implementation of seventh pay commission in the state. The two leaders met with the three-member expert committee constituted for this purpose. 
 
Speaking to media persons, Sharma said, “Tripura CM is working hard on the issue of implementing seventh pay commission for the government employees. The idea is to clear it as early as possible.” The implementation of the 7th pay commission within three months of the formation of the government was one of the poll promises made by the BJP during the electioneering in Tripura.
 
Currently, the salary of the government employee is as per the 4th pay commission. Under this, if the salary is Rs 20,000, it would increase to Rs 35,000 if the 7th pay commission report gets implemented in the state. 
 
For the first time, Indian Railways staff will be able to avail Leave Travel Concession (LTC). The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on March 27, citing the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, stated that government servants and their spouses, working in Indian Railways, are entitled for the facility of LTC.
 
“The matter has been considered in this department in consultation with Ministry of Railways. It has been decided that Railway employees may be allowed to avail all-India LTC once in a block of four years, said the DoPT circular, adding “The ‘All-India LTC’ will be purely optional for railway employees.” 
 
It also said that railway employees shall continue to be governed by the Railway Servants (Pass) Rules and availing of the “All India LTC” under the CCS (LTC) Rules by them will be facilitated through a special order under the relevant provision of the said Pass Rules.
 
Besides this, the Madhya Pradesh government headed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, last month, decided to increase the retirement age of the state government employees from 60 to 62 years just to placate them ahead of the assembly polls. Following this example, the Centre is also reported to have been toying with the idea to increase the retirement age of the central government employees. However, the government is yet to give any clue in this regard.
 
It may be noted that in June 2016, the government last revised the minimum pay to Rs 18,000 from previous Rs 7,000 per month, along with fitment factor of 2.57 for central government employees. However, showing dissatisfaction employees demand fitment factor of 3.68 times with minimum pay scale of Rs 26,000. 
 
The government was expected to hike minimum pay to Rs 21,000 and fitment factor to 3.00 times, but the present NDA government is yet to hike minimum pay beyond the recommendations of the 7th CPC to fulfil the wishes of about 48 lakh central employees aside from those who are drawing pension. 
 
The month of April, which is the start of the new fiscal, was expected to bring great cheer to central government employees, but this has not happened.