Punjab Pay Commission report in next fiscal year: FM

Chandigarh, Mar 4 (UNI) The fifth Punjab Pay Commission report for state government employees will be finalised before the end of the next financial year.

" The report will definately be ready in the next fiscal year", Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal told the state Vidhan Sabha here today.

Replying to a question by Ajit Singh Mofar (Cong), the Finance Minister told the House that the report would be given final shape only after studying the Central Pay Commission which would also be ready in the next fiscal year. " It is customary that the state report be prepared after going into the details of the central report", he said while again assuring the members that it would be ready in 2008-09.

Mr Badal told the House that the notification of the Fifth Pay Commission was issued in December 2006 and its terms of reference had now been issued by the Governor. The four member Pay Commission is head by retired IAS office S K Tuteja.

Refering to the terms of references, the Minister said that it would examine the principles and the date of effect thereof that should govern the structure of pay, allowances and other facilities/benefits, whether in cash or in kind, to all categories of employees. However the employees whose scales of pay have been determined on the recommendations of the University Grants Commission will not be considered by the Commission.

The Commission would suggest ways and means through which services in the State Government departments can be developed as professionalised, citizen-oriented and citizen-friendly with efficiency and efficacy in goverance through use of modern information and communication technologies. While making such suggestions, special emphasis would be on improving the delivery of public services to the people, restructuring or re-engineering the Government business process and promoting service deliveries in the Public Sector-Private Sector-Paternership mode.

MORE UNI HS BK1648