Guj govt accepts 6th pay commissionrecommendations, allows nearly 3-fold rise

The state's top babus have reason to cheer in these days leading up to the Lok Sabha elections. The state government has finally cleared the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for state IAS, IPS and IFS officers. The state government silently passed an order accepting the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission and the hefty pay hikes will come into effect on April 1.

From next month, junior IAS officers who were in the Rs8,000 to Rs13,500 scale will now be paid between Rs15,600 and Rs39,100, with grade pay of Rs5,400. IAS officers in the selection grade of Rs15,100 to Rs18,300 and supertime scale of Rs18.400 to Rs22,400 will be in the scale of Rs37,400 to Rs67,000, with grade pay of Rs10,000 and Rs12,000, respectively.

IAS officers of secretary, principal secretary and chief secretary rank, who were being paid in the above supertime scale of Rs26,000 to Rs30,000 (fixed), will now be in the new scale of Rs80,000 to Rs,90,000 (fixed).

Junior IPS officers in the junior time scale of Rs8,000 to Rs13,500 will be in the scale of Rs15,600 to Rs39,100. IPS officers in the selection grade of Rs14,300 to Rs18,000 will get Rs37,400 to Rs67,000; while those in the supertime scale (DIG-DG) of Rs16,400 to Rs20,000 and Rs18,400 to Rs2,400 will be in the new scale of Rs37,400 to Rs67,000. IPS officers in the supertime scale (additional DGP, DGP) of Rs22,400 to Rs24,500 and Rs24,050 to Rs26,000 will be in the new scale of Rs37,400 to Rs67,000 and Rs75,500 to Rs80,000, respectively. DGPs in the scale of Rs24,050 to Rs26,000 will get fixed pay of Rs80,000.

Junior IFS officers who were getting Rs8,000 to Rs13,500 will now get Rs15,600 to Rs39,100. Those in the supertime scale (conservator of forests) of Rs16,400 to Rs20,000 and Rs18,400 to Rs22,400 will get Rs37,400 to Rs67,000. IFS officials of the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) grade, who were in the Rs24,050 to Rs26,000 range, will now be in the scale of Rs75,500 to Rs80,000.

Though the state government has accepted the pay hike recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission, it has not yet accepted other recommendations like those to do with compensatory local allowances (CLA), and transport and children's education allowance, like those for top babus at the Centre and other states. It has decided to offer CLA and transport allowance as per the old rates, and not to give children's education allowance.

As per the recommendations of the pay commission, the pay plus dearness allowance for the period from January 1, 2006, to March 31, 2009, will be paid as arrears, in two instalments of 40 and 60 per cent of the total amount. House rent allowance (HRA) will be 30, 20 and 10 per cent of pay in the pay band plus grade pay, where population is more than 50 lakh, less than 50 lakh and less than 5 lakh, respectively.

Kapil Dave/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication