7th Pay Commission: HRA was most crucial aspect of meet, Good News in 5 days

This exercise would be followed by a meeting of secretaries of various government department.

The suspense is set to end on the higher allowance structure on the 7th Pay Commission. The meeting to discuss on higher allowances went into depth regarding the House Rent Allowance. The report in its final stages will be submitted to Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley who will take it before the Union Cabinet.

The employees who have been waiting to hear good news on higher allowances and HRS will have to wait just another 5 days more. The Cabinet will take it up on June 7 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

HRA most crucial aspect

The most crucial aspect of the meeting was relating to HRA. This is a matter of great concern for the central government employees. It may be recalled that the Commission had also suggested that the rates of HRA must be revised to 24 per cent, 16 per cent and 8 per cent according to the pay and the position of the employees. The panel had advised revising the HRA rates by 27 per cent, 18 per cent and 9 per cent when Dearness Allowance crosses 50 per cent and further increase it to 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 per cent if DA goes beyond 100 per cent.

Employees must be paid

The meeting took up the cause of the employees who have been demanding that they be paid a higher HRA. It was pointed out during the discussions that the HRA must be paid at a rate of 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 per cent of their basic pay. The Central Government Employee Unions had said that "If the commission before 7CPC had not increased the HRA rates they had not also decreased the rates". It was pointed out that this was a key grievance and the Cabinet must look into the same.

Wait for five more days

Since it is such an important issue concerning lakhs of central government employees, the Cabinet would want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chair the session. Modi is away on foreign tour and will return this week. During the Cabinet meeting to be held on June 1, the issue will be taken up and finalised, sources say.

What will the E-CoS recommend?

The E-COS would go with a similar report that was prepared by the committee on allowances. The Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha says that all considerations of the employees would be taken into account. Moreover the PM, Modi himself wants the issue to be resolved and has said several times that the employees demands and considerations must be looked into. There would be a viable solution to the issue and both parties must be happy, the government wants.

What next?

While it would be the Cabinet which will take the final decision, Sinha stated that the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) will go through the review report by Ashok Lavasa-led Committee of Allowances on or before June 1 and will let their findings be known by the same date. This exercise would be followed by a meeting of secretaries of various government department. A consolidated view on the findings would be taken and then the Cabinet would take up the issue for a final nod on June 7

What the representation states

National Council Joint Consultative Machinery (Staff Side) submitted a representation to Cabinet Secretary Sinha. NCJA Secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra tabled the suggestions and demands of central government employees regarding allowances under 7th pay commission. He intimated Sinha about the demands. Sinha on the other hand assured that all aspects relating to the employees would be taken into consideration soon.

OneIndia News