In a major additional Rs 1500 crore bonanza forgovernment employees and pensioners, the Punjab government has decided tofurther hike their basic pay by a minimum of 15% over and above the basic payas on Dec 31, 2015, in addition to restoration of certain allowances.
With this, the total average increase in salary/pensionper employee has gone up to Rs 1.05 lakh per annum, from the earlier Rs. 79,250per annum that they were getting following the government’s decision to acceptthe recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission with effect from July 1, 2021,which had earlier led to a Rs 4700 crore bonanza for the employees.
The decision on further hike was taken at today’s Cabinetmeeting, chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who directed allMinisters, Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments to talk to theirrespective employees for early redressal of their grievances. While allreasonable demands of the employees should be resolved following today’sannouncements, he made it clear that strict action should be taken, as perrules, if the employees continue to agitate.
The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of CabinetMinister Brahm Mahindra and others in resolving the grievances of the 2.85 lakhemployees and 3.07 lakh pensioners, who will benefit from today’s decisions,which will cost the government exchequer a total salary/pension bill of Rs. 42673 Crore per annum.
Captain Amarinder pointed out that all operationalallowances have not only been retained but also doubled in absolute terms overwhat they were being paid earlier, with the cabinet decision to restore commonallowances, such as Fixed Medical Allowance, Mobile Allowance, ConveyanceAllowance and City Compensatory Allowance (CCA), at the revised rates (2.59 X0.8), w.e.f 01.07.2021.
The Cabinet also approved treating of Non-PracticingAllowance (NPA) admissible to Doctors at the rate of 20% of revised Basic Payas Pay, with Secretariat Pay for Employees (Working in Punjab CivilSecretariat) to be doubled w.e.f. 01.07.2021 and also to be treated as Pay.
Further, employees covered under National Pension Schemehave now given cover under family pension in case of death-in-harness, with theadoption of Family Pension guidelines dated 05.05.2009 and subsequent linkedinstructions dated 04.09.2019 withsuitable State Government modifications in respect of employees covered underNew Pension Scheme (NPS) as applicable to similarly placed employees inGovernment of India, as per the provisions under the Punjab Civil ServicesRules- Volume II.
The Cabinet also decided that service rendered during theprobation period shall be counted for the purpose of ACP, as already being doneby the Department of General Administration.
The decisions taken by the cabinet are based on therecommendations of the committee of the Group of Ministers, headed by LocalGovernment Minister Brahm Mohindra, to consider the demands of variouscategories of employees. Constituted on June 25, 2021, the committee alsocomprised Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu,Social Justice Empowerment Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Medical Education& Research Minister OP Soni. An Officers Committee consisting of PrincipalSecretary Finance, Principal Secretary, Health and Principal Secretary,Personnel, was also constituted to consider the issue.
After having a series of meeting with the variousEmployees Associations, the Officers Committee submitted its Report, which wasthen considered by the Group of Ministers, that also heard employee associationrepresentatives in-person and gave its recommendations to the council of ministers.