GOVT EMPLOYEES’ STIR FOR PAY PANEL BENEFITS HITS OFFICE WORK

Rajasthan government employees on Friday went on a day’s mass leave demanding that the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations be implemented with effect from January 1, 2016, hitting works in government offices across the state.

Akhil Rajasthan Rajya Karamchari Sanyukt Mahasangh (Ekikrat) state president Gajendra Singh said the government should implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission from January 1, 2016, and the pay matrix for the state employees at per that of central government employees.

The employees’ union also demanded that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government fulfills the promises made in its election manifesto in 2013, of making temporary and contract employees permanent.

This apart, the union also demanded that the government provide pension as it was before 2004 and not pay contributory pension to retired employees, Singh said.

At present, against the sanctioned posts of 8.53 lakh, there are only 5.50 lakh employees working and the remaining posts are vacant. Of the 5.50 lakh employees, more than 4.50 lakh employees were on mass leave, he said.

“Employees of the power, water and health departments are not participating in the mass leave called by the union.”

Due to employees going on mass leave, work in the government offices from the secretariat to panchayat level, was affected, Singh said.

The state government on December 2 announced that it will provide benefits under the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations to nearly 12.5 lakh employees and pensioners in the state with effect from January 1, 2017. The arrears will be effective from January 1, 2017 and will be given in three installments – 30% in April 2018, 30% in July 2018 and 40% in October 2018, the government said.

Earlier, chief minister Vasundhara Raje announced to implement the recommendations of the pay commission before Diwali and also released a notification, saying that the arrears will be in effect from October 1, 2017.

JAIPUR: UNION ALSO DEMANDED THAT THE GOVT PROVIDE PENSION AS IT WAS BEFORE 2004 AND NOT CONTRIBUTORY PENSION TO RETIRED EMPLOYEES