Fed of waiting for an update, the employees are today all set to meet with government officials to seek a progress update on their HRA and higher allowances as per the 7th Pay Commission. The Empowered Committee of Secretaries which is screening the allowances including HRA was to submit its report to the cabinet secretary.
Union officials that we spoke to say that they will meet with senior government officials and seek an update. Why is there so much secrecy and why can't we get to know about the allowance updates and HRA as per the 7th Pay Commission.
Matter of livelihood
Government employees numbering over 52 lakh say that it is a matter of their livelihood. The wait is unbearable and the government must provide some update on the issue. How much more do we wait, said an employee. The union leaders have said that they would meet with officials latest by today and seek an update. They have been assuring of good news and also said that they would take into account all our considerations, union leaders said. We have to know what the update it they also said.
What is being discussed
The most important discussion of the E-CoS is with regard to the House Rent Allowance. This is a matter of great concern for the central government employees. It may be recalled that the Commission had also suggested that the rates of HRA must be revised to 24 per cent, 16 per cent and 8 per cent according to the pay and the position of the employees. The panel had advised revising the HRA rates by 27 per cent, 18 per cent and 9 per cent when Dearness Allowance crosses 50 per cent and further increase it to 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 per cent if DA goes beyond 100 per cent.
What employees asked on HRA
The meeting took up the cause of the employees who have been demanding that they be paid a higher HRA. It was pointed out during the discussions that the HRA must be paid at a rate of 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 per cent of their basic pay. The Central Government Employee Unions had said that 'If the commission before 7CPC had not increased the HRA rates they had not also decreased the rates'. It was pointed out that this was a key grievance and the Cabinet must look into the same.
Why is June 7 a crucial date?
Since it is such an important issue concerning lakhs of central government employees, the Cabinet would want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chair the session. Modi is away on foreign tour and will return this week. During the Cabinet meeting to be held on June 7, the issue will be taken up and finalised, sources say.
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