Civil Services officers meet Jitendra Singh over 7th Pay

A confederation of civil services officers association today met Union Minister Jitendra Singh and requested him to alter the composition of a high-powered panel created recently to process the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission as they were "apprehensive" of its neutrality.
The confederation members led by the Convenor and General Secretary of the All India IRS (Income Tax) Jayant Mishra, Gen Secretary of the IPS Association P V Ramasastry and President of the Indian Information Service (IIS) Ranjana Dev Sarmah including office bearers of four other services met Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

The delegation of the Confederation of Civil Service Associations (CoCSA) said Singh, assured them that their concerns will be "appropriately examined."
"The Government has formed a Committee of Secretaries to examine the Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
Unfortunately, eight of the 13 members of the Committee belong to one particular Service and therefore the CoCSA is apprehensive of its neutrality on issues related to parity and equality of opportunities.
"We, therefore request the Government to implement inter Service parity related issues as recommended by a majority decision of the Pay Commission as such because the recommendations have been made by a body headed by retired Supreme Court Judge which has meticulously examined the issues for about 20 months after a wide consultation with all the stakeholders.

"If the Government, however, feels the necessity to examine the matter further, it may be done by a Service neutral body and not the present Committee," the confederation said.

The Centre, in January this year, had set up a high-powered panel headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha to process the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission which will have bearing on the remuneration of 47 lakh central government employees and 52 lakh pensioners.
The group of civil servants also expressed their grievances in the delay in empanelment of their respective cadres for working in higher government posts.
"It may be recollected that the Commission (7th Pay Commission) recommended with a 2:1 majority, to end the exclusive edge to the IAS in the matters of pay, deputations and promotions.