E-Paper
Setting up of panel triggers demand to restore govt employees’ allowances in Uttar Pradesh
On May 12, 2020, the Uttar Pradesh government had scrapped many allowances of its employees to provide funds for the fight against Covid
With the Uttar Pradesh government deciding to set up a five-member committee to make recommendations about the removal of anomalies in pay scales and allowances, various organisations representing government employees have begun demanding restoration of the allowances that the government scrapped in fight against Covid-19 in 2020.
Chief secretary RK Tiwari heads the committee that has the additional chief secretaries of the personnel and finance departments as its members.
The committee will make recommendations to the state cabinet about a pay committee’s suggestions about removing anomalies in pay scales and allowances following implementation of the seventh pay commission recommendations. The pay committee, headed by Vrinda Swaroop, had submitted its report in 2018 and recommended an increase in or scrapping of various allowances.
The state government is yet to implement many suggestions.
On May 12, 2020, the state government had scrapped many allowances to provide funds for the fight against Covid-19. The state government proposed to save a sum of ₹1500 crore per annum. It also decided to freeze the DA (dearness allowance) till June 30, 2021
“Yes, the state government has not implemented many recommendations of the pay committee. We will demand restoration of allowances that have been scrapped.
We will also urge the committee to make recommendation to remove anomalies in pay scales and allowances following implementation of the seventh pay commission recommendations in Uttar Pradesh,” said Hari Kishore Tiwari, president, Uttar Pradesh Karamchari Sanyukta Parishad.
Uttar Pradesh Secretariat Employees’ Union president Yadvendra Mishra echoed the same sentiments. Indian Public Service Employees Federation president VP Mishra said employees in many states had already launched agitation following a delay in removal of anomalies. He said the pay committee had submitted its recommendations in 2018 and the state government delayed setting up of the committee.
“We will also demand payment of arrears following the Union government and state government’s decision to increase the DA from 17% to 28%. The DA was frozen in 2020,” said Mishra.
Special secretary to state government Saryu Prasad Mishra has issued an office memorandum dated July 16, 2021, communicating the decision to set up the chief secretary’s committee.
“Further to the central seventh pay commission’s recommendations, the state government had constituted a pay committee (2016) to consider and make recommendations about revised pay scales and various allowances and facilities to different categories of employees.
The state government has taken a decision on many recommendations out of them. I have been directed to convey that the governor is pleased to set up a committee to consider and make recommendations for approval by the state cabinet on the recommendations of the pay committee on which a decision has not been taken yet,” said the office memorandum.
