Karnataka to review pay revision, CM promised

Employees not happy with hike on three technical grounds

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said on Thursday that the government would review the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission and take a suitable decision, in the light of the State Government Employees’ Association terming the pay panel report as unscientific on three technical grounds.

Gowda was addressing reporters after a meeting with senior officers - including Chief Secretary S V Ranganath, Additional Chief Secretary Subir Hari Singh, who headed the pay committee, and Finance Secretary L V Nagarajan - and representatives of the Association here.   

Gowda said the Association was unhappy with the pay revision on three counts: There is no valid reason to fix the salary fitment facility only at 22.5 per cent; the salary hike should be with retrospective effect from July 1, 2011 and not from April 1 this year; the salaries of the Central government employees is 30 per cent more than that of the State government employees despite the revision. 

However, the Association has not said by how much the salaries should go up, according to Association President L Byrappa. 

Allowances meagre

He said the Association did not raise the issue of upward revision proposed by the committee regarding allowances and benefits. However, in the memorandum it has submitted to the chief minister, it has dubbed the proposed allowances meagre. 

The disparity between urban and rural areas in House Rent Allowance is huge, the Association has alleged. Gowda said it was unfair not to effect a pay revision just because there were allegations that government employees were not doing their duty properly. 

“Demanding a pay revision is the right of the employees. It is also the norm to revise the salaries once every five years. If there are any lapses, action can be initiated against them under the service rules,” said Gowda.

He said the government had effected the pay revision, despite the additional burden it would result in. He said the drought situation in the State and non-generation of revenue from the mining sector had imposed additional burden on the State.

Source : Deccan Chronicle

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