SCPC: Resentment after pay hike

February 24th, 2009
By Our Correspondent
Feb. 23: In what has created a resentment among the officers of the Central and state services, the government of India has offered additional allowance of 25 per cent of basic salary as special allowance to the officers of All-India Services posted in Northeastern states. In this regard the ministry of personal, public grievances and pension has issued a separate notification on February 10 to the state governments of the region. The notification no 14017/4/2005-2005 AIS (II), signed by director (services) Harjot Kaur said, “The ministry has decided to grant special allowances to officers belonging to any cadre of All-India Services working in Northeastern states.

The allowance, known as special allowances, will be at the rate of 25 per cent of basic pay and in addition to other allowances payable to officers posted in Northeastern states.” If insiders are to be believed, there has been no recommendation of the Pay Commission in this regard or decision of the Cabinet. The letter written to all chief secretaries and finance department of the Northeastern states said that this notification has been issued after an effective concurrence of the department of expenditure, ministry of finance and will be made effective since the day the notification has been issued (February 10, 2009). The special incentive that has been given to IAS, IPS and IFS only has created resentment among the officers of other Central services and the state governments as well as they started questioning the relevance of this “special treatment”.

This has come close on the heels of alleged distortion of Cabinet decision in September last year on the Pay Commission report by the government in formulating certain pay scales for IAS and IFS officers. The exorbitant 25 per cent special allowance is also going to create a serious problem for the state governments which are yet to mobilise fund for its employees who are agitating for salary hike already given to Central government employees in the Sixth Pay Commission. Most of the Northeastern states have expressed their inability in implementing the Sixth Pay Commission of the Central government to its employees. The officers of other Central services posted in Assam and other Northeastern states have also expressed surprise that such important notification was issued “secretly” and not displayed on the sites of the ministry.
Resentment after pay hike