NFPE SALEM EAST

“The real enhancement of HRA benefits that the Central Government employees were entitled to after the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission have not yet been given.”

“The recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission have been implemented for the Central Government employees with effect from January 1, 2016 onwards. Much to the irritation and disappointment of the employees, although the centre has implemented the recommendations, it has not yet made up its mind about the allowances, despite the fact that 12 months have ended.”

Pay Commission is constituted once every ten years to revise the salaries and pension of Central Government employees and pensioners. Accordingly, the Seventh Pay Commission was constituted, which submitted its recommendations on 19.11.2015 to the Central Government. The Central Government accepted all the recommendations and had announced on 29.6.2016 that it would implement all the clauses without making any substantial alterations, with effect from 01.01.2016.

Since only meagre increments were given, lakhs of Central Government employees were sorely disappointed.

Among the most important aspects of the salary increment is the House Rent Allowance (HRA). House Rent Allowance of an employee was calculated at 10, 20, and 30 percent of the basic salary, based on the population of the city where the office was located. The Seventh Pay Commission recommended that it be revised to eight, 16, and 24 percent respectively.

Various Central Government Employees Federations had requested the government to increase the House Rent Allowance percentages. The government immediately accepted their request and announced the constitution of a High Power Committee to re-examine all the allowances. Until then, it said, the allowance rates recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission would prevail.

As a result, the House Rent Allowance is currently being offered as recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission.

The employees meanwhile worriedly claim that they now understand the reason why the Central Government had so eagerly accepted their demand to revise the House Rent Allowance. They believe that the Central Government had constituted a committee in order to delay the issue indefinitely.