Pay Commission: Grievances of middle-level employees addressed

NEW DELHI: A scrutiny of the pay panel recommendations reveals that the increase is geared to meet the demands of defence personnel, middle-level officers, and the bulk of employees. The services seemed certain of a better deal from the government, but the recommendations also represent an effort to redress the grievance of the middle-rung officers and employees whom the pay panel left discontented ��� in no small measure because of the fact that the senior officers had fared well.
Pay structures of the top rung remained unchanged on Thursday.It spells good news for the defence officers who have put in 14 or more years of service. The army jawan has also been taken care of as he will get a higher military service pay of Rs 2,000 compared with the earlier Rs 1,000.
The starting monthly package of a government employee will now be a little more than Rs 10,000 as his basic pay has been hiked to Rs 7,000 from the earlier Rs 6,600.
The effort has yielded dividends since colonels and brigadiers have now been put in the highest pay band (PB-4) of Rs 39,200-67,000 with the adjoining grade pay ranging from Rs 9,000 to Rs 13,000. Theoretically, therefore, a brigadier can draw a monthly salary of Rs 80,000 at the peak.
A similar decision has been taken for the middle-rung civilian and police officers as they too have been put in the PB-4 band. Officers holding the posts of director, DIG, conservator of forests, scientists (E & F), superintending engineers, additional I-T commissioners or equivalent would now draw substantially higher salaries.
A major grievance of central government doctors has been addressed as those who have put in 20 years of service can now get the senior administrative grade (SAG) at the joint secretary level.