7th Pay Commission Latest News Today: Final Decision on Minimum Pay by January End, Hike Likely

New Delhi, Oct 4: The Union Cabinet is expected to take up the issue of raising minimum pay beyond the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission or 7th CPC by the end of January. The National Anomaly Committee (NAC), formed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to look into pay anomalies arising out of the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations, will hold final meeting in October and the Cabinet is likely to approve the hike in minimum pay in January next year,

According to reports, the NAC has resolved all issues related to minimum pay hike beyond the 7th Pay Commission after consultations with all its stakeholders. The committee is likely to submit its report in October, recommending a hike in minimum pay. It may recommend hiking minimum pay to Rs 21,000 against the Rs 18,000, recommended by the 7th Pay Commission and approved by the Cabinet.

The further meeting of National Anomaly Committee (NAC) is likely to be held in October to confirm to hike the basic pay with fitment factor 3.00,” a Finance Ministry official was quoted as saying. Central government employees have been demanding to raise minimum pay from Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000 under the 7th Pay Commission. However, the government is planning to approve minimum pay at Rs 21,000 raising fitment factor 3.00 times from 2.57 times.

The Empowered Committee of Secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha and the Department of Expenditure will examine the report of NAC on minimum pay, said a senior official of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and then it will be forwarded to the Cabinet. The final decision of the minimum pay hike is expected to be announced by the end of January.

The Union Cabinet approved the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission on pay hike and allowances on June 28 last year. The 7th Pay Commission had recommended a 14.27 per cent hike in basic pay — the lowest in 70 years. The 7th Pay Commission had raised the minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 per month while the maximum pay has been hiked from Rs 80,000 to Rs 2.25 lakh per month and Rs 2.5 lakh for the cabinet secretary—the senior-most civil servant.