The windfall government employees receive by way of pay commission award arrears may no longer be forthcoming. The government is examining a proposal to implement pay commission awards prospectively on the lines of finance commission awards, as large arrears throw the finances of both the Centre and states in disarray.
"We are examining the suggestion," a finance ministry official told ET. He, however, added that the final call on the issue would be taken when the next pay commission is constituted. Pay commissions are usually set up at intervals of 10 years. The Sixth Pay Commission, the most recent, gave its recommendations in March 2008. It had proposed pay raises between 20% and 40% for government employees.
The finance ministry had told a parliamentary panel last week that the issue should be deliberated upon as retrospective implementation of pay commission awards has had adverse impact on the finances of the Centre as well as the states, a government official privy to the meeting said. Many state governments had expressed concerns over the issue of arrears. States set up pay commissions for their own employees after the pay commission for the central government employees submits its report.
"While many reforms can and should be contemplated to end this self-inflicted distortion, one action that could be taken immediately is that of making the pay award commence from the date on which the recommendations of future pay commissions are accepted by the government," the 13th Finance Commission had said in its report.
The burden of arrears on the central government from the Sixth Pay Commission award was Rs 28,160 crore on a salary base of Rs 44,360 crore. This was because the recommendations of the panel announced in 2008 were implemented retrospectively from January 1, 2006.
"We are examining the suggestion," a finance ministry official told ET. He, however, added that the final call on the issue would be taken when the next pay commission is constituted. Pay commissions are usually set up at intervals of 10 years. The Sixth Pay Commission, the most recent, gave its recommendations in March 2008. It had proposed pay raises between 20% and 40% for government employees.
The finance ministry had told a parliamentary panel last week that the issue should be deliberated upon as retrospective implementation of pay commission awards has had adverse impact on the finances of the Centre as well as the states, a government official privy to the meeting said. Many state governments had expressed concerns over the issue of arrears. States set up pay commissions for their own employees after the pay commission for the central government employees submits its report.
"While many reforms can and should be contemplated to end this self-inflicted distortion, one action that could be taken immediately is that of making the pay award commence from the date on which the recommendations of future pay commissions are accepted by the government," the 13th Finance Commission had said in its report.
The burden of arrears on the central government from the Sixth Pay Commission award was Rs 28,160 crore on a salary base of Rs 44,360 crore. This was because the recommendations of the panel announced in 2008 were implemented retrospectively from January 1, 2006.
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