Revision of pay of the Chairpersons and Members of the Regulatory Authorities/Bodies consequent to the implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations

Revision of pay of the Chairpersons and Members of the Regulatory Authorities / Bodies consequent to the implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations.

No. 3/4/2016-Estt.(Pay-II)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training

North Block,
New Delhi
Dated the 30th May, 2017

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Revision of pay of the Chairpersons and Members of the Regulatory Authorities / Bodies consequent to the implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations.

This Department had, vide OM No. 3/ 6/ 97-Estt.(Pay-II) dated 29th January 1998, issued guidelines regarding perquisites and some important terms and conditions for the Chairpersons and Members of the Regulatory Authorities and allied matters.

2. These guidelines were applicable to Chairpersons and Members of existing Regulatory Authorities also, appointed subsequent to the issue of these guidelines, unless there is a constitutional or statutory obligation to the contrary. As per the aforesaid guidelines, the Chairperson would be eligible for pay not exceeding Rs. 26,000/ - p.m. (fixed) and Members would be eligible for pay scale not exceeding Rs.22400-525-24500. The pay will be fixed in accordance with the prevailing orders, i.e. pay minus pension.

3. After implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, in order to attract expertise available outside the Government, the full time Members of TRAI, CERC, IRDA, SEBI and CCI were granted consolidated pay packages vide orders of Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure. Replacement scales of Rs.80,000/- p.m. and Rs.37400-67000 (PB-4) with Grade Pay of Rs. 12000/- (since replaced with HAG scale of Rs.67000-79000) were granted respectively to Chairpersons and Members of all other Regulatory Authorities / Bodies.

 4. The 7th CPC has looked into the emoluments structure, including pay, allowances and other facilities/benefits, in cash or kind of the members of Regulatory Bodies (excluding the Reserve Bank of India) set up under Acts of Parliament, and have given their recommendations in Chapter-13 of their Report. As per recommendations of the 7th CPC, as accepted by Government of India, and also as intimated by Department of Expenditure vide OM No. 394959/ E.IIIA/ 2017 dated 211d March 2017, the pay and allowances of Chairperson and fulltime Members of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Competition Commission of India (CCI), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA), Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERAI), Railway Development Authority (RDA) and Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) which have been de-linked from Government salaries will be governed by the orders issued by the Department of Expenditure.

5. In respect of existing Members of remaining Regulatory Bodies set up under the Acts of Parliament, the 7th CPC has recommended normal replacement pay. This has also been accepted by the Government of India vide Resolution No.1-2/ 2016-IC dated 25th July, 2016. Accordingly, the existing Chairpersons as well as future appointees would be eligible for basic pay not exceeding Rs. 2,25,000/- (Level 17 of Pay Matrix) in revised pay structure and the existing Members as well as future appointees would be eligible for basic pay not exceeding Level 15 of Pay Matrix in the revised pay structure.

6. Existing instructions provide that Chairperson and Member(s) who on the date of his / her appointment to the Regulatory Authority/ Statutory Body/ Tribunal was in the service of the Central/ State Government shall be deemed to have retired from such service with effect from the date of his / her respective appointment as such Chairperson/ Member. In case such officers are in receipt of pension, the same shall be deducted in accordance with the prevailing orders applicable to the reemployed pensioners.

 7. The rates of all allowances shall be as admissible to Government employees of corresponding Level from time to time.

8. These orders shall take effect from 01.01.2016.

(A.K. Jain)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

To All Ministries/Department (As per standard list attached)

Source: http://dopt.gov.in

Heavy vacancy position on Indian Railways leading to unbearable additional burden and serious staff discontentment - immediate action

Heavy vacancy position on Indian Railways leading to unbearable additional burden and serious staff discontentment -  immediate action

 

NFIR

No. II/95/Part X

Dated: 27/05/2017

The Chairman,
Railway Board,
New Delhi

Dear Sir,
Sub: Heavy vacancy position on Indian Railways leading to unbearable additional burden and serious staff discontentment - immediate action - requested

NFIR brings to your kind notice that due to accumulation of vacancies in lakhs in safety as well other than safety categories, the systems are suffering very badly and employees are heavily over burdened. Serious discontentment and unrest is prevailing among staff as they are heavily over burdened with the additional workload on account of non-filling of vacancies.

Non-creation of additional posts for maintenance of newly created assets has further aggravated the situation. New stations are opened for traffic on some Zonal Railways, but sadly new posts of Operating Staff (Station Master, Points Men etc.,) have not been created. Likewise, new Railway Lines have been opened for traffic but unfortunately safety category posts have not been sanctioned and above all, safety category vacancies continued unfilled. On some stations, no pointsmen are available while at some stations, the station masters are managing with single Points Man, facing heavy stress while performing train passing duties.

Complaints have also been received that periodic rests are denied to staff on some Zones,leave refused due to shortage of staff and at the same time shortcut methods are being resorted to for denying payment of Over Time Allowance etc.

In C&W, S&T, TRD, TRS and Diesel Organizations, there is heavy shortage of staff as the norms/yard sticks are not being followed, consequently staff are put to sufferings. There is also heavy shortage of Supervisory Staff in the Technical and Operational categories. On some Zones, the shortage of Track Maintainers is so heavy that for patrolling duties, Tiack Maintainers are not available. It is no exaggeration to frankly state that crisis situation has developed on Railways mainly on account of heavy shortage of staff.
NFIR wants to convey to the CRB without mincing words that any delay in filling the vacancies and creating new posts in safety categories for maintaining newly created assets would cause serious setback to the Railways' efficiency. The Federation further conveys that the Railway employees are very restive, extremely unhappy and angry over the failure of Railway Board in filling the vacancies.

Federation therefore, requests you to kindly take a realistic view and see that approval is given for filling vacancies and creating new posts immediately to save the Railways and equally preserve healthy industrial relations

Yours faithfully

(Dr.M.Raghavaiah)
General Secretary

Source : NFIR

7th Pay Commission: Latest updates on higher allowance

7th Pay Commission: Latest updates on higher allowance

New Delhi: The Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) will finally take up higher allowance report on June 1, said Shiv Gopal Mishra, secretary of the National Joint Council of Action (NJCA), which is a centralised union of several central government employees unions, who met the Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha.

The 'Committee on Allowances', which examined the 7th pay commission's recommendations on allowances, submitted its report to the finance minister Arun Jaitley on April 27.

The committee on allowances has suggested some modifications in some allowances that are applicable universally to all employees as well as certain other allowances which apply to specific employee categories, the finance ministry said in a statement.

However, the Committee's report on allowances under the 7th Pay Commission hasn't made public.
The committee on allowances report is being currently examined by the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha set up to screen the 7th pay commission recommendations and to firm up the proposal for approval of the Cabinet.

In June 2016, the government approved 14% pay and pension hike for central government employees and pensioners under the 7th Pay Commission recommendations.

The decision on allowances was postponed at that time because the 7th Pay Commission had recommended abolition of 52 allowances and subsuming of another 36 allowances into larger existing ones out of total 196 allowances. Employee unions were opposed.

Accordingly, the government implemented the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission from January 1, 2016 in respect of basic pay and dearness allowances, other allowances continued to be paid at old rates.
So, the finance minister Jaitley referred allowances to the committee on allowances headed by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa in June last year.

The 7th Pay Commission also recommended slashing the House Rent Allowance (HRA) from 30, 20 and 10 per cent to 24, 16 and 8 percent of the Basic Pay for Class X, Y and Z cities respectively.

The National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) demanded the government to implement higher allowances without further delay with effect from January 1, 2016.

The NJCA also demanded HRA at the rate of 30%, 20% and 10% instead of 24, 16 and 8%.

Filling up 50% of DR Quota vacancies through GDCE - Eligibility to staff in same Grade Pay/Pay Scale: NFIR

Filling up 50% of DR Quota vacancies through GDCE - Eligibility to staff in same Grade Pay/Pay Scale: NFIR

NFIR
National Federation of Indian Railwaymen
3, CHELMSFORD ROAD, NEW DELHI - 110 055

No. II/6/Part 7

Dated: 27/05/2017

The Secretary (E),
Railway Board,
New Delhi

Dear Sir,
Sub: Filling up 50% of DR Quota vacancies through GDCE - Eligibility to staff in same Grade Pay/Pay Scale-reg.

Ref: (i) Railway Board's letter No. E(NG)I-92/PM2/ 16 dated 20/08/1993.
(ii) Railway Board's letter No. E(NG)I-2001/PM2/ 12 dated 21/01/2002.
(iii) Railway Board's letter No. E(NG)I-201 1/PM1/2 dated 12/09/2014
16/09/2014.

The extant instructions provide opportunity to the staff who fulfill the conditions of educational qualification etc., laid down for direct recruitment, to appear for GDCE against 50% DR Quota vacancies for pursuing their career. The policy decision of Railway Board Vide letters cited under reference does not give opportunity to the staff of same Grade Pay/Pay Scale to apply for GDCE and face examination for the same Grade Pay/Pay Scale post as the provision allows only those in the lower Grade Pay/Pay Matrices Level.
The above subject was also discussed informally with the Director General (Personnel) on 26th May 2017.
NFIR is of the view that the staff of the same Grade Pay/Pay Matrices should also be made eligible to volunteer and appear for GDCE as is allowed in the case of those working in the lower Grade Pay/Pay Matrix Level. NFIR, therefore, requests the Railway Board to kindly review the extant instructions and modify the same to facilitate those who are in the same Grade Pay avail the opportunity of GDCE. It is also requested that GDCE be made as a regular scheme for filling 50% DR Quota vacancies annually by the Zonal Railways etc., to facilitate talented and highly educated staff to avail the scheme for improving their career.

Yours faithfully,
(Dr. M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary

Source: NFIR