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7th Pay Commission Latest News Today: NAC Meeting on Minimum Pay Hike Likely in December; Here’s What to Expect

New Delhi, Nov 8: The National Anomaly Committee (NAC), which was formed to resolve all matters related to the anomalies in the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission‘s recommendations, is likely to hold a crucial meeting on a hike in minimum pay beyond the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission of 7th CPC in December. The NAC is expected to submit its report on higher minimum pay, which would be accepted by the government. (Also Read – 7th Pay Commission: Centre Hikes Allowance For Differently-Abled Kids of Government Employees to Rs 54,000 Annually)

The NAC meeting on raising minimum pay beyond the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission, scheduled for October, was postponed. If media reports are to be believed, the meeting is likely to take place only after the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are over. The result of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat Assembly polls will be declared on December 18.

The NAC may suggest hiking minimum pay to Rs 21,000 from Rs 18,000, recommended by the 7th Pay Commission and approved by the Cabinet. Fitment factor will be raised to 3.00 times from the existing 2.57 times. However, central government employees are demanding for hiking minimum pay Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000 and they are pressurizing to raise fitment factor 3.68 times from 2.57 times. Upset over the delay in raising minimum pay, the central government employees sought Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s intervention in the matter.

According to the Finance Ministry, Jaitley will keep his promise to raise minimum pay beyond the Rs 18,000, which was recommended by the 7th Pay Commission. “Government is making sure that its policy is targeted to where there are specific issues, where government need to make sure to keep FM Arun Jaitley’s promise, but also where the government does need to make sure that pay cap will not cost for government exchequer. However, employees deserved pay hike to keep up with inflation,” a Finance Ministry official was quoted as saying.

On June 30, 2016, Arun Jaitley held a meeting with representatives of central government employees unions at the residence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh where he reportedly promised them to consider their demand of raising minimum pay beyond the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission.

The government had approved a hike in salary and allowances as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission in June 2016 and July 2017 respectively. The 14.27 per cent hike in basic by the 7th Pay Commission — the lowest in 70 years — has left the central government employees unsatisfied.