Railways Earning: Impact of implementing recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission

Railways Earning: Impact of implementing recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 88
ANSWERED ON: 16.11.2016

Proposal for bail out


PRATHAP SIMHA
Will the Minister of
RAILWAYS be pleased to state:-

(a) whether railways has initiated a proposal for the bail out to foot higher wage bill from the Finance Ministry, including waiver of dividend payment;

(b) whether Railways is 8-10% short of revenue target during the 1st quarter of the current financial year;

(c) whether Railways has also requested Finance Ministry to share the Service Tax collected from railway services, if so, whether Finance Ministry has acceded to proposal of Railways;

(d) whether Railways has also requested Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide for the concessional tickets offered to defence personnel and Persons with Disabilities, if so, response of these Ministries to share the subsidy burden; and

(e) the measures being taken by the Ministry to implement 7th Pay Commission award?


ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a) & (b): Impact of implementing recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission on pay and pension assessed to be around Rs.20,000 crore annually has been provided in the expenditure budgeted for 2016-17. However, in view of trend of shortfall in earnings in the current year which in the Ist quarter fell short of the proportionate target by Rs.6,755 crore (14.8%), some steps need to be taken to avoid eventuality of having inadequate resources to meet the expenditure. These may, besides increasing earnings & economy measures to curb expenditure; include deferring the payment of dividend, seeking help of the Ministry of Finance for reimbursing cost of social services obligation being borne by the Railway, etc.

(c) & (d): No request as such has been made to Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

(e): The recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission as approved by Government have been implemented on Railways.

Source: http://164.100.47.190/loksabhaquestions/annex/10/AU88.pdf

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Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme: Aim, Objective

Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme: Aim, Objective

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO: 56
ANSWERED ON: 18.11.2016

Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme

MD. BADARIDDOZA KHAN
Will the Minister of
DEFENCE be pleased to state:-


(a) the details of aims and objectives of the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS);

(b) whether ECHS has fulfilled its mandated aims and objectives;

(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether shortcomings / deficiencies in the implementation of ECHS have come to the notice of the Government; and

(e) if so, he details thereof and the corrective measures taken by the Government thereon?


ANSWER
MINISTER OF DEFENCE (SHRI MANOHAR PARRIKAR)

(a) The aim and objective of the scheme is to provide quality healthcare to the Ex-Servicemen (ESM) pensioner and their dependents.

(b) & (c): Yes, Madam. Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) was launched on 1st April 2003. Its growth has been phenomenal. It had a beneficiary base of only about 3.5 lakh in 2003 and its beneficiary base has expanded to approximately 50 lakh. Having started with 13 Regional Centres and 227 Polyclinics, the Scheme expanded in October 2010 with 15 more Regional Centres and 199 Polyclinics, taking the total to 28 Regional Centres and 426 Polyclinics. Presently all Regional Centres and 421 Polyclinics are operational across the country. Further, ECHS has a large number of empanelled medical facilities.

(d) The shortcomings / deficiencies in the functioning of the empanelled hospitals, supply of medicines, budgetary and manpower matters, have come to the notice of the Government.

(e) Corrective steps taken / being taken to overcome the shortcomings / deficiencies include outsourcing of pharmacy, authorization of local chemists, enhancement of financial power of Officer in-charge of ECHS polyclinic to obviate the shortage of medicines, processing of medical bills of all 28 Regional Centres on-line as per rules, appropriate use of ECHS funds by the service hospitals, adherence to the terms and conditions of Memorandum of Agreement by the empanelled hospitals, recruitment of the manpower in ECHS polyclinics, de-duplication of ECHS smart cards etc.


Source: Loksabha.nic.in [Click to view/download]

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7th Pay Commission Allowances to Government Employees: Official Answer in Lok Sabha

7th Pay Commission Allowances to Government Employees: Official Answer in Lok Sabha

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO: 57
ANSWERED ON: 18.11.2016

Allowances to Government Employees

VIJAY KUMAR S.R.
SUDHEER GUPTA

Will the Minister of
FINANCE be pleased to state:-


(a) whether the Government has deferred the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations on various allowances, perks and perquisites and referred the matter to a Committee;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the terms of reference and aims and objectives of this move;

(c) whether the Committee has submitted its report to the Government and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons for the delay; and

(d) the timeframe drawn for the Committee to submit its report to the Government and the date from which the allowances including house rent, education and transport allowances are likely to be made effective?



ANSWER


FINANCE MINISTER (SHRI ARUN JAITLEY)

A Statement is laid on the Table of the House

Statement Annexed with the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 57 for 18.11.2016 by Shri S. R. Vijayakumar and Shri Sudheer Gupta on Allowances to Government Employees

(a) & (b): In view of the number of representations received with regard to substantial changes with the existing provisions relating to Allowances recommended by the 7th Central Pay Commission, the Government has set up a Committee to examine the recommendations of the Commission on allowances (except Dearness Allowance). The Committee has been asked to go into the recommendations of the Commission on various allowances and, having regard to the representations made by the staff associations as also the suggestions of the concerned Ministries/Departments and to make recommendations as to whether any changes in the recommendations of the Commission are warranted and, if so, in what form. Till a final decision is taken by the Government based on the recommendations of this Committee, all allowances (except Dearness Allowance) will continue to be paid at existing rates in the existing pay structure. The Committee, constituted vide order dated 22.7.2016, is to submit its report within four months.

(c) & (d): The Committee has been interacting with various stake-holders to discuss their demands and has so far held discussions with National Council (Staff Side), Joint Consultative Machinery, representatives from staff associations and officials from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Home Affairs and Department of Posts. The Committee may also interact with the representatives of some other major Ministries/Departments and stakeholders with whom consultations are yet to be held before finalizing its Report. On submission of the Report, the matter pertaining to allowances will be considered by the Government and appropriate decision will be taken thereafter.

Source: Loksabha.nic.in

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One Rank One Pension (OROP)

Press Information Bureau,

Government of India
Ministry of Defence

18-November, 2016

One Rank One Pension (OROP)

Government had appointed a Judicial Committee headed by Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court on 14.12.2015, to look into anomalies, if any, arising out of implementation OROP.

The Terms of Reference for the Committee is as under:

To examine and make recommendations on references received from the Central Government on the following matters:

• Measures for the removal of anomalies that may arise in implementation of the OROP letter No. 12(1)/2014/D(Pen/Pol)/ Part-II dated 07.11.2015.
• Measures for the removal of anomalies that may arise out of inter-service issues of the three forces due to implementation of OROP order ibid.
• Implications on service matters.
• Any other matter referred by the Central Government on implementation of the OROP or related issues. In making its recommendations, the Committee shall take into account the financial impact of its recommendations.

The Committee has submitted its report on 26.10.2016 which is under examination. During the Financial year 2016-17, a sum of Rs. 12456 crore has been provided for expected expenditure on account of One Rank One Pension (OROP).

The status of payment to the Defence Pensioners/ Family Pensioners on account of implementation of OROP benefits, as on 03.11.2016 are as under:

Beneficial pensioners (pre-July 2014)	No. of cases paid (1st instalment and lump-sum payment	Amount disbursed (in crore)	No. of cases paid (2nd instalment)	Amount disbursed (in crore)
20,63,529	19,35,968	3927.86	12,37,511	1817.29

Out of 20,63,529 pensioner beneficiaries, 1,27,561 Defence Pensioners/Family Pensioners are yet to get the benefits of OROP. Public Grievance Cell in the Department is receiving grievances of the pensioners/family pensioners and taking up the matters with the concerned Department for redressal of their grievances. Disposal of grievances is monitored at the highest level in the Government.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Alok Sanjar and others in Lok Sabha today.

PIB

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