Pay bonanza for

Central government employees must certainly get a decent salary to lead a decent life. But the periodic disproportionate salary hike they demand and get with scant regard for the dehumanising poverty around them is morally far from justified. It is hard to reconcile the cash shower with the hard battles fought by the impoverished multitudes who survive beneath the poverty line. The issue is not to be seen purely in dry economic terms. What benefits will accrue to the rest of the population from the pay bonanza of about one lakh rupees to nearly 10 million government staff is left unsaid. It is not made clear how the predicted boost to consumption demand and investment and revival of the economy will help the masses. Unfortunately, no thought is being given to those who do backbreaking work to keep body and soul together. It is sad that no one is raising his voice for more wages for daily labourers or higher MSPs for farmers. Pay hikes of the kind now given lead to the widening of the gap in income inequality. Like government employees, ordinary people too are affected by soaring price rise and inflation. The relatively more privileged social background and trade union power persuade the government of the day to raise babus’ emoluments. They are so powerful as a lobby and a vote bank capable of influencing other voters that they manage to get the recommended hike and deny the government the headroom to implement the recommended scrapping of allowances, linkage of pay and perquisites with performance and abolition of unwanted posts. The employees must give up their plan to go on strike to ask for “more” without being carried away by the Congress party’s criticism of the hike of 24% in pay as “ungenerous”. They must realise that they too have a moral obligation to contribute to the mitigation of social and economic deprivation around them and act accordingly. The Editor,The Financial Express, B1/B, Sector - 10, Noida - 201301. Distt: Gautam Budh Nagar (U.P.).or e-mail at: feletters@expressindia.com or fax at Delhi: 0120-4367933