Pay parity for chairpersons, members in Hry commissions

CM Manohar Lal Khattar has approved the proposal in this regard

In order to ensure parity in salaries, allowances and other perks of all chairpersons and members of state commissions and other authorities, the Haryana government on Monday announced that those holding constitutional or statutory posts will be allowed salaries as admissible to the chief secretary and principal secretary.

The salaries of the current incumbents however will be protected.

The proposal in this regard, approved by chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, is in line with an amendment bill proposed by the central government to ‘rationalise’ the salaries and allowances of the chairpersons and members of the Central Information Commission and the State Information Commission.

However, the Centre’s decision has been criticised by RTI activists and termed as a move to weaken the commission. For bringing these changes, the state government will have to amend several laws, each regulating the terms and conditions of the commissions.

Some of them are state laws, while others are central ones.

An official spokesperson said it has been decided that in respect of constitutional or statutory commissions or authorities of Haryana where the pay, allowances and perks being drawn were over and above those of chief secretary or a principal secretaryrank officer, the same will be revised accordingly whether through a change in the statute or executive instructions.

The spokesperson said any pension being drawn for a previous service will be subtracted from the salaries.

“All other allowances and perks will also be comparable to those drawn by a chief secretary and principal secretary rank officers,” the spokesperson added.

HPSC MEMBERS STAND TO GAIN

The move will benefit the chairperson and members of the HPSC as their salaries are set to go up. At present, the HPSC chairperson gets about ₹1.55 lakh per month as basic pay which would go up to around ₹2.25 lakh. The salaries of HPSC members will also go up to around ₹1.82 lakh.

The spokesperson said no additional pension or death-cumretirement gratuity will be admissible for the period of qualifying service in any commission or authority if the chairperson or member is already a government pensioner.

Where no pension is being drawn by a person before his/her appointment as chairperson or member, he/she will be entitled to monthly pension of qualifying service which will be regulated under the rules applicable to chief secretary and principal secretary, the spokesperson said.

BASIC PAY OF HPSC CHAIRPERSON WILL GO UP TO ₹2.25 LAKH, WHILE OTHER MEMBERS WILL GET AROUND ₹1.82 LAKH PER MONTH AFTER REVISION