In this election year Akhilesh Yadav Government showered a bounty on State Government employees, teachers and pensioners by announcing over 14 per cent hike in their salary and promised that State Government employees’ salary would be brought at par with the Central Government staff.
“There is a good news for the Government employees. Their salary will get a raise with a retrospective effect from January 1, 2016. If they (employees) want more facilities they should vote for Samajwadi Party in the next election,” Yadav said on Tuesday after the Cabinet meeting which approved the recommendations of the committee set up to review Seventh pay Scale.
Employees did not take long to pick up hint as congratulatory messages stated pouring in immediately after CM made this announcement. All India Power Engineers Federation thanked CM for this ‘bold’ step and demanded that modalities in its implementation should be announced at the earliest, Shailendra Dubey, Chairman of the Federation said in his statement.
Over 16.5 lakh Government employees including teachers, staff of Jal Sansthan, Nagar Nigam and State-run autonomous bodies will stand benefited by this decision. Besides, over 10.5 pensioners will get benefit from this Government decision. In the first year this Government will bear an additional burden of Rs 17,958.20 crore, an official in the finance department t said.
Prima facie the hike in the salary would be 14.5 per cent. This hike does not include Dearness Allowance as Central Government has not announced DA till date. Once DA hike is added to it the hike in salary would be something between 18-20 per cent, the official told The Pioneer.
He said the public sector undertakings which are in profit will not be entitled for DA equivalent to the State Government employees.
The State Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, approved the interim report submitted by a committee on the Seventh Pay Commission. The committee headed by retired bureaucrat GB Pattnaik, had submitted its interim report to the Chief Minister on December 7.
The new pay scale has tried to ensure parity in salary of state employees, with that of the Central Government employees. As per the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, arrears would be paid in three to four installments, with some portions going to the Employees Provident Fund account.
Besides, the grade pay between Rs 5200- Rs 20,200 has been hiked to Rs 18,000- Rs 29,200, grade pay of Rs 9300- 34,800 has been hiked to Rs 35,400- 53,100, grade pay of Rs 15,600- 39,100 will now be Rs 56,100 -78,800, grade pay of Rs 37,400- 47000 will be 1,18,500- 1,44,200, grade pay of 67,000-75,500 will be Rs 1,82,200- 2,05,400, fixed grade pay of Rs 80,000 will now be fixed at Rs 2,25,000 while fixed grade pay of Rs 90,000 will now be Rs 2,50,000. The cabinet also approved the supplementary grants which will be tabled in the winter session of the state assembly. Sources claim that this amount would be over Rs 27000 crore.
Government also approved revival of cloased cinema halls and construction of 300-beded hospital in Bareilly. Besides, strengthening of roads between Badaun and Bareilly, portion of road between Faizabad-Ambedkar Nagar have been proposed. A bus station at district Azamgarh would be constructed soon. The state cabinet also approved Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia for a family of martyred police man. The PRD jawans could now be employed till they attain 60 years of age earlier this limit was up to 50 years.