Work in government offices across Jammu and Kashmir was hit as over 4.5 lakh State Government employees went on a two-day strike demanding early implementation of the sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations and enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60.
The call for the two-day strike was given by Joint consultative committee – an amalgam of various government employees associations – in protest against the alleged failure of the government to implement the recommendations of the pay panel.
Staying away from their offices, the employees also staged peaceful rallies and protest demonstrations at various places including Sher-e-Kashmir Park, Lal chowk, Shaheed Gunj in Srinagar and other district headqarters, official sources said, adding, emergency services were exempted from the purview of the strike.
Employees in most of the departments in different districts of Jammu division did not perform their duties, official sources said.
Work in government offices across Jammu and Kashmir was hit as over 4.5 lakh State Government employees went on a two-day strike demanding early implementation of the sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations and enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60.
The call for the two-day strike was given by Joint consultative committee – an amalgam of various government employees associations – in protest against the alleged failure of the government to implement the recommendations of the pay panel.
Staying away from their offices, the employees also staged peaceful rallies and protest demonstrations at various places including Sher-e-Kashmir Park, Lal chowk, Shaheed Gunj in Srinagar and other district headqarters, official sources said, adding, emergency services were exempted from the purview of the strike.
Employees in most of the departments in different districts of Jammu division did not perform their duties, official sources said.
The three-day roadways strike made on the call of UP Rajya Nigam Karamchari Sangh for nine point demands including the implementation of
Sixth Pay commission, met strong resentment from various roadways associations and more than 500 buses remained off road.
The impact of the ‘chakka jam’ of the buses from the midnight, was clearly visible as passengers kept facing difficulties in travelling. Owing to the strike, heavy rush on trains and Kanpur Central was witnessed. Many could not reach the desired venues on time, whereas several persons were compelled to change their schedule and postpone their trips in wake of the strike. Continue reading ‘Chakka jam’ poses trouble for commuters
Teachers of junior colleges and aided schools across the state went on a day’s token strike on Tuesday, to press for pay parity with central government teachers. Also on strike, albeit an indefinite one, were teachers of degree colleges, protesting non-implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission scales. The strikes, coupled with heavy rains, disrupted classes in colleges and aided schools in the city.
While most degree college teachers were on strike at Jai Hind College, Churchgate, junior college teachers reported for work. It was the same at KC College. As a mark of protest, in some colleges like St Xavier’s College, Dhobi Talao, teachers attended college and signed the register but did not teach. “Only 15% of staff and students made it to college today,” said St Xavier’s principal Fr Frazer Mascarenhas. At Wilson College, Chowpatty, while degree college teachers were on strike, junior college teachers came to help out with the admissions but stayed away from lectures.
Indian railways will be paying a higher dividend of Rs5,479 crore during the current fiscal despite over Rs3,000 crore dip in cash surplus on account of higher wage bill following implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission award.
Unveiling the rail budget for 2009-10, railway minister Mamata Banerjee said, “The Railways paid their full dividend liability of Rs4,717 crore in 2008-09 and will pay an even higher dividend of Rs5,479 crore in 2009-10.”
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The railways will be paying higher dividend despite the adverse “impact of increase in working expenses due to the Sixth Pay Commission and sluggishness in earnings due to the economic slowdown”.The cash surplus of the railways during the current fiscal is expected to dip to Rs14,201 crore from Rs17,400 crore in the previous fiscal, mainly on account of higher wage bill during the year.
According to Banerjee, the railways disbursed Rs13,600 crore during 2008-09 towards implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.For the current fiscal, she said, “After having absorbed the impact of the Sixth Pay Commission, to the extent of Rs14,600 crore in 2009-10, the cash surplus before dividend of the railways work out to Rs14,201, net revenue of Rs8,121 crore and operating ratio of 9.25%.”
In an attempt to make bureaucracy accountable, a radical system of assessment has been mooted by an official panel allowing government servants to be sacked after 20 years of service if they are found unfit to continue.
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The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) headed by senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily recommended unprecedented and far-reaching changes in the service rules of government servants and suggested two intensive reviews to make civil servants accountable.
The first of its kind report in 150 years suggests far-reaching recommendations, including removal of non performing bureaucrats and perhaps even a formal degree in public policy.
I was initially reluctant to write this letter to you. But, since The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence have now been postponed, and your next trip to Mumbai is shrouded in uncertainty, thereby robbing our chance for a brief heart-to-heart, I felt that this would probably be the best way to catch your attention.
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With every newspaper leader writer churning out editorials full of admonishment, you might just like to read this column, by way of a pleasant diversion. This column also proposes to provide you with some counsel–unsolicited, as always.
* The first piece of advice for you would be to revisit the sixth pay commission recommendations for the armed forces. This encompasses all associated issues, such as reduction in status as well as disparity in pay scales with civilian counterparts. True, there is some merit in the argument that, as a democracy, India needs to maintain its fine civilian-military balance. It’s our strength and that should be preserved. But, that same divide is now becoming a deep rift and could pose unspeakable dangers.
The Cabinet in its meeting held yesterday decided to increase the salaries of Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts. This revision has been necessitated because of the increase in the salaries of the Central Government employees on acceptance of the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.
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The Chief Justice of India will now get a salary of Rs.1,00,000/- p.m. plus Dearness Allowance(DA) thereon. Judges of Supreme Court and Chief Justices of High Courts will draw a salary of Rs. 90,000/- p.m. plus DA thereon whilst the Judges of High Court will draw a salary of Rs.80,000/- p.m. plus DA thereon. This will be effective from 01.01.2006. 40% of the arrears of salary will be given in the current financial year and the balance 60% in the next financial year. Continue reading SALARIES OF JUDGES OF THE SUPREME COURT AND HIGH COURTS INCREASED
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Thursday announced pay parity with the central government for the state government’s 1.8 million employees and teachers.”All state government employees and teachers of both state-run and government-aided educational institutions will receive the salaries as revised by the sixth central pay commission, with effect from January 2009,” Mayawati told mediapersons after taking the decision at a meeting of her cabinet earlier in the day.
रिजवी समिति की रिपोर्ट को स्वीकार करते हुए प्रदेश सरकार ने पहली जनवरी 2009 से राज्य कर्मचारियों को छठवें वेतन आयोग की भांति वेतन देने का फैसला आज कर ही लिया। यह फैसला मुख्यमंत्री मायावती की अध्यक्षता में हुई मंत्रिमंडल की बैठक में किया गया जिसकी जानकारी उन्होंने स्वयं अपने आवास पर पत्रकारों को दी। फैसला वैसे तो पहली जनवरी 2006 से लागू किया गया है किन्तु 30 नवम्बर 2008 तक के बकाये का 80 प्रतिशत उनके भविष्य निधि खातों में जमा होगा और 20 प्रतिशत का नगद भुगतान तीन किस्तों में किया जायेगा। मुख्यमंत्री के अनुसार इस फैसले से राज्य कर्मचारियों के साथ सहायता प्राप्त शिक्षण संस्थानों व प्राविधिक शिक्षण संस्थाओं के शिक्षक व शिक्षणेत्तर कर्मचारी लाभान्वित होंगे जो कुल कर्मचारियों का 80 प्रतिशत है। पेंशनभोगियों व पारिवारिक पेंशनधारकों को भी केन्द्र की भांति पुनरीक्षित पेंशन दी जायेगी। जिन पेंशन धारकों की आयु 80 साल या इससे अधिक है उनके बकाये का भुगतान चालू वित्तीय वर्ष में ही किया जायेगा। पेंशन सहित नया वेतनमान लागू होने से सरकार पर सालाना 4,674 करोड़ रुपये का अतिरिक्त व्यय भार पड़ेगा जबकि बकाये के भुगतान पर 13,662 करोड़ का भार अनुमानित है। इसकी प्रतिपूर्ति के लिए अनुत्पादक खर्चे कम किये जायेंगे तथा आयोजनेत्तर मद में पांच प्रतिशत की कटौती होगी। इसके अलावा सरकार अपने वित्तीय संसाधन भी बढ़ायेगी। मुख्यमंत्री ने कहा कि उत्तर प्रदेश पहला राज्य है जहां पर छठवें वेतन आयोग की संस्तुतियों के अनुरूप वेतनमान दिया जा रहा है। उन्होंने बताया कि इस रिपेार्ट के लागू होने से कर्मचारियों को कई तरह के फायदे होंगे। मसलन सामूहिक दुर्घटना बीमा योजना की धनराशि जो अभी तक 30, 60 एवं 120 हजार रुपये थी वह बढ़कर एक लाख, दो लाख और चार लाख हो जायेगी। सबसे बड़ा लाभ एक लाख या उससे अधिक आबादी वाले नगर के कार्मिकों का होगा। उन्हें भी प्रतिकर भत्ता दिया जायेगा। ड्यूटी के दौरान दुर्घटना में मृत्यु होने पर अनुग्रह राशि पांच लाख से बढ़ाकर दस लाख तथा आतंकी घटना में मारे जाने पर पन्द्रह लाख कर दी गयी है। इसके साथ दस, बीस एवं तीस साल की सेवा पूरी करने पर कर्मचारियों को क्रमश: पहला दूसरा एवं तीसरा उच्चतर वेतनमान दिया जाएगा। मुख्यमंत्री ने बताया कि केन्द्र ने वर्तमान वेतन श्रृंखला के स्थान पर संशोधित वेतन संरचना लागू करने का फैसला किया है। Continue reading 6th Pay Commission from January in Uttar Pradesh
With the armed forces insisting on a pay hike, the government has said it is “very difficult” to maintain a balance in salaries of government servants doing varied jobs.“It is a very difficult exercise. Because it is not just a question of ensuring that people get better salaries. It is also a question of parities…. balances,” Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar said in an interview.
He was responding to a question on what steps the government was contemplating in view of the armed forces’ demand for pay parity.
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Chandrasekhar said issues become more complicated when people start feeling that they are being discriminated against by the Pay Commission recommendations.
“It is very difficult when people feel that this chap has got more than me…that feeling is there. So, to maintain that kind of balance…. it is very difficult,” he said.
The Cabinet’s decision to give the go-ahead to a pay revision for the employees of central public sector enterprises (CPSE) was a given the moment the government accepted the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations for central government employees. Just as it is a given that state governments will soon have to follow through with hikes for their employees and then for employees of state public sector enterprises!
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The gravy train will then move on to sundry departmental undertakings and autonomous institutions , colleges, schools and so on. Indeed, it is precisely because of the snowballing effect of any hike in government salaries that such decisions need to be taken with a great deal of circumspection – and must go hand-in-hand with higher productivity and greater accountability.
The Union Cabinet is expected to take a call on the issue of hiking the salary of the Supreme Court and High Court judges on Thursday.
The cabinet is meeting amidst reports that the plan has not found favour with the Union Finance Ministry.
As per media reports the Finance Ministry, although seems inclined to approve a hike but is unwilling to do so as per the recommendations proposed by a three-judge committee constituted by the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
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Once the Cabinet takes a call on the issue, a Bill would be introduced in Parliament as the legislatures nod is required for any change in the salary structure of higher judiciary.
Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan, in a letter to the ministry in July, had sought a hike of two to three times the present monthly salaries of judges of the higher judiciary.
He had pointed towards the pay revision proposal for government employees under the Sixth Pay Commission and built a case for salary hike for judges as well. The CJI, at present, gets a monthly salary of Rs 33,000. The letter had suggested raising it to Rs 1.1 lakh.
For other apex court judges, the CJI had suggested a monthly salary of Rs 1 lakh and favoured a similar pay for Chief Justices of High Courts. The chief justice had proposed a monthly salary of Rs 90,000 for High Court judges.
Seeking better perks, the CJI also talked about raising the medical reimbursements for judges from the higher judiciary.
In a pre-election bonanza to 16 lakh employees in government schools, the government’s pay parity committee has advised payment of allowances as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.
This will include the city compensatory allowance and house rent allowance and the revised pay scale will come into force from December 1.
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This is the first time that state employees will be paid allowances on the Central scale, causing an annual burden of Rs 1,500 crore on the state exchequer.
The committee, headed by SAT Rizvi, was constituted in August by the state government to suggest measures for the implementation of the pay panel recommendations. It was to submit its report within three months.
Alok Ranjan, principal secretary of urban development and a member of the committee, said the committee has finalised its report, which will be presented to Chief Minister Mayawati when she returns from her campaign tour.
The committee has, however, made no recommendations regarding arrears and pension, which is likely to be announced during the presentation of the budget in February.
The arrears and pensions for the period of January 2006 to November 2008 would entail a one-time additional expenditure of Rs 14,775 crore. The salary arrears amount to Rs 11,051 crore and Rs 3,724 crore for pension.
Despite having inherited economy in a shambles, the Uttar Pradesh government led by Mayawati seems to have favoured 18 lakh employees and teachers over 18 crore people of the state.
The government on Thursday announced that it would implement the new pay scale for 8,00,000 employees, 6,00,000 teachers and 4,00,000 pensioners, which would put heavy burden on the state exchequer.
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The new scales as recommended by the 6th Pay Commission would be implemented from January 01, 2009, just a few months before the general elections. As a result the employees and teachers alone would consume over Rs 33,600 crore a year.
Simply put, the new pay structure would touch state annual plan size of Rs 35,000 crore leaving little in the coffer for development and welfare works for the people who have been electing governments with great dreams in their eyes.
The elections would be decisive for Chief Minister Mayawati, who is in a hurry to conquer Delhi. Continue reading Its politics!
The state employees including senior level officers are observing strike on November 20, to press for the demand of implementation of sixth pay commission, removal of discrimination between IAS, IFS and IPS and state level services and enhancement of retirement age to 60.
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The call for strike has been given by the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC)- a combination of all gazetted and non-gazetted associations/ unions of all three regions.
The Committee has exempted hospital emergency units and examinations from strike for convenience of general public and the students.The JCC has already met the Governor N N Vohra who has greed in principal that there should be uniform superanuation age limit in all the services. Continue reading Jammu and Kashmir Govt employees to observe strike today
