The Empowered Committee of Secretaries (CoS) constituted to look into the grievances against the Justice B.N.Srikrishna led 6 th Pay Panel Report, is getting ready to submit its recommendations to the government by this weekend only with a cosmetic re-do.
The expectations of lakhs of Central Government Employees are likely to be dashed as the expert committee has got nothing to offer them.
Sources close to the CoS revealed that bowing to the pressure from the defense ministry, except for hiking military service pay (MSP) for defense personnel and city compensatory allowances for fourth-grade employees, the rest of the recommendations of the Srikrishna panel are being left untouched.The CoS, the 15 member committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary K.M.Chandrasekar had agreed to increase the MSP of soldiers (Not officers) from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month and merge the amount into the basic to calculate other allowances. This ensures a healthy pay pocket for soldiers. Similarly it has suggested that the city compensatory allowance for fourth-grade civil employees be raised from a maximum of Rs 300 per month to Rs 1,000.This will enable fourth-grade employees to break the Rs 10,000 barrier at the entry level, the sources said.
But the MSP for officers up to the rank of brigadier, about which also the defense minister, Mr.A.K.Anthony spoke to Mr.Chandrasekar, has been left untouched at Rs 6,000 per month.
Regarding many concerns raised by various sections of beneficiaries, including ex-servicemen, police personnel and B and C grade employees, the committee considered the original recommendations fit to be implemented.
After the Srikrishna report was submitted in March, there was widespread discontent and resentment among various sections of central government employees, after which the Union Cabinet in April decided to constitute an empowered CoS to screen the recommendations.
Given the conservative look CoS has given the report, it is expected that in all probability the Union Cabinet, when it takes up the matter, will refer it to a group of ministers (GoM), the sources said.