OBC creamy layer income limit to be hiked to Rs 8 lakh per annum

OBC ‘creamy layer’ income limit to be hiked to Rs 8 lakh per annum

New Delhi: With a large number of vacancies in central government jobs meant for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) remaining unfilled for want of candidates, the central government is mulling relaxing the ‘creamy layer’ criterion by raising the income ceiling to Rs eight lakh annually.

27 per cent of seats in government jobs and educational institutions are reserved for OBCs provided the annual income of the family is up to Rs six lakh. Those who earn above that are referred to as the creamy layer and are not eligible for reservation. Raising the ceiling would result in a larger pool of candidates eligible for government jobs and seats in educational institutions.

The Social Justice Ministry is working on a proposal to raise the annual income ceiling of OBCs to Rs 8 lakh, according to official sources.

A Cabinet note is likely to be moved in this regard soon, they said.

When contacted National Comission for Backward Classes (NCBC) Member Ashok Saini told PTI that the panel had recommended more than doubling the income ceiling to Rs 15 lakh.

“Even two decades after reservation (was introduced), out of 27 per allocated quota, it has been seen that only 12-15 per get utilised. As per our analysis, the major reason behind this is the ceiling on annual income,” Saini said.

As per Mandal Comission report, in 1980 OBCs constituted 52 per cent of India’s population. The panel’s report was based on the 1931 census. The National Sample Survey Organisation had in 2006 pegged the OBC population at 41 per cent.

PTI

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FinMin seeks status report on pay revision talks from public sector banks

FinMin seeks status report on pay revision talks from public sector banks

New Delhi: Keen to close pay negotiations in public sector banks by November 1, 2017, the Finance Ministry has asked the lenders to present status report on salary hike talks with their employee unions.

The chief executives of PSBs have been asked to intimate the ministry about “the present status/action taken by them so as to conclude the negotiations/next wage settlement by the effective date i.e November 1, 2017 positively”.

In January, the PSBs were asked to initiate the process of negotiations with the employees and conclude it prior to the effective date of November 1, 2017.

The communication to PSBs regarding wages comes in the backdrop of banks union threatening to join the strike called by trade unions on September 2 to protest against what they call anti-people policies of the government.

The wage revision of public sector bank employees has been due since November 2012. In the last wage negotiation between PSU banks employee unions and bank management, Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) had settled at 15 per cent hike.

There are 27 public sector banks in the country with a combined employee strength of about eight lakh. There are about 50,000 branches of these banks across the country.

Recently, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan had said all public sector banks tend to over-pay at the bottom but under-pay their top executives, even as he rued, albeit jokingly, himself being “under-paid”.

PTI

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7th Pay Commission – Aggrieved CG Employees pin hope in meeting between Committee of Secretaries and NJAC on Sept 1

7th Pay Commission – Aggrieved CG Employees pin hope in meeting – The leading employee union, National Joint Council of Action, headed by Shiv Gopal Mishra, has been invited in the meeting

Committee of Secretaries will hold their second meeting regarding the resolution of anomalies in the implementation of 7th Pay Commission. The meeting is scheduled on September 1.

The leading employee union, National Joint Council of Action, headed by Shiv Gopal Mishra, has been invited in the meeting. Aggrieved central government employees pin their hope in the outcome of the meeting. However, many among them have turned increasingly pessimistic, after reports floated earlier in the week stating that the government would not be increasing the minimum salary which has been fixed as Rs 18,000.

Shiv Gopal Mishra is expected to pitch the demands of the government employees before the high-powered committee. As of now, it is not clear whether government would pitch for a compromise with the union. However, the committee members are scheduled to hear the grievances of the employees as raised by the Unions.

One of the foremost demands raised by NJAC is that the government should use 3.68 fitment factor, instead of 2.57 in calculating the minimum salary, as well as the hike in allowances. The minimum salary of government employees as per 6th Pay Commission was Rs 7,000. This was increased by the Justice AK Mathur led panel to Rs 18,000, using the 2.57 fitment factor. If the 3.68 fitment factor would be applied, the entry-level pay would be hiked to Rs 26,000.

The 7th Pay Commission report prepared by Justice (Retd) AK Mathur had suggested the abolition of 51 out of the 194 existing allowances. A total of 27 allowances were subsumed.

Apart from the civilian employees, the armed forces have also marked their objection as the pay panel has refrained from incorporating their demand related to the creation of a uniform pay matrix.

The Defence Pay Matrix has only 24 pay levels, on the other hand, their bureaucratic counterparts enjoy 40 pay levels. Due to this, the armed forces personnel receive less opportunity of salary hikes. Their income gets stagnated at certain points, and even after retirement, they end up drawing Rs 20,000 less as pension, as compared to their civilian counterpart. Similarly, the demand to include Tier-II employees among beneficiaries in the technical allowance has not been paid heed.

The all-important meeting scheduled by the government comes a day before the pan-India strike called by several employee unions across organized sectors against the recommendations of the 7th pay commission.

Source: India.com

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Extend the benefit of Gratuity to all NPS Employees

Extend the benefit of Gratuity to all NPS Employees

IMPORTANT GOVT ORDER

A MAJOR VICTORY OF THE STRUGGLE OF CENTRAL GOVT EMPLOYEES:

Confederation of central Govt Employees & Workers have been continuously fighting against pension reforms implemented by Govt in tune with the neo-liberal policies and demanding SCRAPPING OF THE NEW PENSION SYSTEM (NPS). Further we have been demanding that those employees who are covered by NPS should be eligible for payment of Death cum Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) and Family Pension and also Govt guaranteed Minimum Pension and Compensation for price rise (Dearness Relief). Now the Govt has conceded one of our demand. Govt of India has issued orders to extend the benefit of Gratuity to all NPS Employees. Further the Cabinet has decided to constitute a committee for streamlining the implementation of NPS. We shall present the remaining issues before that Committee also. Scrapping of NPS is one of the main demand of 2016 September 2nd General Strike also. No struggle will go in vain. Let us make the strike a grand success

M.Krishnan, Secretary General Confederation.

No. 7/5/2012-P&PW(F)/B
Ministry of Personnel, Public (Grievances and Pensions
Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare

Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market,
New Delhi-110 003, Dated the 26th August, 2016

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Extension of benefit of Retirement Gratuity and Death Gratuity to the Central Government Employees covered by new Defined Contribution Pension System (National Pension System) – regarding.

The undersigned is directed to say that the pension of the Government servants appointed on or after 1.1.2004 is regulated by the new Defined Contribution Pension System (known as National Pension System), notified by the Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) vide their O.M. No. 5/7/2003-ECB & PR dated 22.12.2003. Orders were issued for payment of gratuity on provisional basis in respect of employees covered under National Pension System on their retirement from Government service on invalidation or death in service, vide this Department’s O.M. No. 38/41/2006-P&PW(A) dated 5.5.2009.

2. The issue of grant of gratuity in respect of government employees covered by the National Pension System has been under consideration of the Government. It has been decided that the government employees covered by National Pension System shall be eligible for benefit of ‘Retirement gratuity and Death gratuity’ on the same terms and conditions, as are applicable to employees covered by Central Civil Service (Pension) Rule,1972.

3. These orders issue with the concurrence of Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, vide their .D. Note No. 1(4)/EV/2006-II dated 29.07.2016.

4. In their application to the persons belonging to the India Audit and Accounts Department, these orders issue after consultation with Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

5. These orders will be applicable to those Central Civil Government Employees who joined Government Service on or after 1.1.2004 and are covered by National Pension System and will take effect from the same date i.e. 1.1.2004.

Sd/-
(Harjit Singh)
Director (Pension Policy)

Source : confederationhq

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7th Pay Commission: Salary hike likely for Karnataka govt employees; CM hints at setting up new panel

7th Pay Commission: Salary hike likely for Karnataka govt employees; CM hints at setting up new panel

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah gave a strong indication to state government employees on Thursday when he hinted at setting up a pay panel to explore the possibility of salary hike that would benefit about 6.40 lakh employees.

“State government employees have been demanding salaries on a par with the Central government staff. The time has come to set up the next pay commission as the Centre is implementing the recommendations of the th pay commission,” Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying by Deccan Herald.

The chief minister spoke on the sidelines of the diamond jubilee celebration of the Karnataka Government Secretariat Employees’ Association (KGSEA) in Bengaluru.

The comment raised hopes of state government employees who had gone on a day-long strike on June 2 demanding pay parity with Central government staff.

“We are happy that the chief minister is keen on setting up a new pay commission. He also promised to look into our grievances,” KGSEA president Mahadevaiah Matapathii said. The last pay commission was set up by the state government five years ago.

Besides salary hike, the employees also want session allowance for all Vidhana Soudha employees and a site for the association’s building.

The 7th Pay Commission’s (CPC) recommendations hiking salary and allowances for Central government employees is a trigger for many state government employees to seek parity with their Central government counterparts.

The central government has accepted the recommendations pertaining to the hike in the salary component, while a decision on allowances is likely by November this year when a committee set up to examine raising allowances submits its report to the finance ministry.

The salary hike for Central government staff has also prompted employees of public sector undertakings (PSUs) to seek a similar hike for which they will be going on strike on September 2 in which state-run banks will also participate. Besides, pay hike, the strike is also in protest against “anti-labour” reforms of the government such as stake sale in PSUs.

Source: IBTIMES

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7th Pay commission latest news – Group A cadre restructure to be reviewed – Govt forms task force headed by additional secretary of DOPT

7th Pay commission latest news – Group A cadre restructure to be reviewed – Govt forms task force headed by additional secretary of DOPT

The 7th Pay Commission report is still grabbing headlines as the various permutations and combinations are still being bandied about and discussed threadbare and now it spans a big controversy that has to do with the near monopoly currently enjoyed by the IAS and how to end it, once and for all.

Moving forward, as per the requirement of the report, the Narendra Modi government has set up a task force to review the cadre structure of all Organised Group A Central Services.

This controversy has acquired increased urgency after the turf war between the officers of the Indian administrative and revenue services (IAS and IRS) recently reached a flashpoint after several IRS officers huddled together in Mumbai last month bringing matters to a head and this set alarm bells ringing at the highest echelons of the government.

The 7th Pay Commission task force will be headed by Department of Personnel and Training additional secretary T Jacob and he will submit the report in 3 months. What he will have on his hands will deal with 4 basic factors that include 1) the ideal structure for posts of joint secretary and above, 2) percentage of reserves in organised Group A services, 3) ideal recruitment policy and 4) way forward in mitigating stagnation level.

There are 49 Organised Group A Services ranging from the IFS, the Indian Postal Service, the five Accounts services and Indian Revenue Service (IT) to the 13 engineering services under the railways, CPWD, telecom, power, water and defence forces.

This move comes courtesy 7th Pay Commission panel chairman, Justice (retired) A K Mathur calling for an end to the dominance of IAS officials. However, there were divergent views in the panel on ending the IAS superiority.

Under the scanner especially was the joint secretary-and-above-level positions in the central staff. The 7th Pay Commission threw up the data: out of a total of 91 secretary level posts, 73 (80%) were occupied by IAS; out of 107 additional secretary level posts, 98 (92%) were with the IAS and of 391 joint secretary level posts, 249 (64%) were with the IAS.

The 7th Pay Commission said IAS officers get two extra increments at promotion stages and it wanted to extend the same to the IPS and the Indian Forest Service. Other all-India services and central services (Group A) are not getting proper representation either. The IAS officers always had a two-year edge compared to other services

The solution that the 7th Pay Commission panel unveiled said that all personnel who have put in 17 years of service should be given equal opportunity for central staff. The panel was overwhelmed by the reactions of Group A Services, who demanded that the services should have equal opportunities to man the senior-most posts and it should not be the preserve of a small group.

(PTI)

Source: The Financial Express

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Retirement Benefits Centre Extends Retirement Benefits to all Central Government Employees

Centre Extends Retirement Benefits to all Central Govt Employees – Under the existing system the pension of the Government servants appointed on or after January 1, 2004 is regulated by the new Defined Contribution Pension System.

In a measure that would benefit thousands of Central government employees, the central government on Friday extended the Retirement Benefits and death gratuity to all, irrespective of the date on which they had entered government service.

Under the existing system the pension of the Government servants appointed on or after January 1, 2004 is regulated by the new Defined Contribution Pension System (known as National Pension System) whereas those who were in service earlier were covered under the Central Service (Pension) Rules, 1972.

According to a notification by the Department of Personnel, the issue of grant of gratuity in respect of government employees covered by the National Pension System has been under consideration and it has now been decided that they shall be eligible for Retirement Benefits, gratuity and Death gratuity’ on the same terms and conditions, as are applicable to other employees covered by the Central Service (Pension) Rules, 1972.

It said these orders will be applicable to those Central Civil Government employees ‘who joined Government service on or after January 1,2004 and are covered by the National Pension System and will take effect from the same date.’

Source: The Hindu

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