Both Central Government employees and retirees are waiting. This wait is for the Centre to announce a hike in the minimum pay and fitment factor beyond 7th Pay Commission recommendations. August might bear good news for them. The Modi-led government is expected to make a declaration about a hike. It might go up to Rs 8,000 in the minimum pay and up to 3.68 times in fitment factor. This announcement is expected to take place on August 15, Independence Day. If the hike is announced then the minimum pay of the Central Government employees will reach up to Rs 26,000.
Reports suggest that Central Government employees will get a hike in the dearness allowance (DA). The will likely benefit around 61 lakh pensioners and approximately 48.41 lakh central government employees. This has solidified the hopes of the Central Government employees. They were eagerly waiting for an announcement by the Centre about a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond recommendations of 7th Pay Commission.
Several states have started providing the benefits of 7th Pay Commission to their employees. The recent among these is the Maharashtra government. Recently, the Finance Minister of Maharashtra had announced that the salaries of the state employees will be increased from Diwali. The step is being taken in terms with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has decided to give an increase in the House Rent Allowance (HRA) in the salaries of its employees.
Apart from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, other states have given the benefits of 7th Pay Commission to their employees. These are Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh among others.
However, an announcement was made earlier this year by Minister of Finance P. Radhakrishnan in the Rajya Sabha. The Centre is not considering announcing a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor. Developments beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations won’t come anytime soon.
