Secretaries committee to screen Pay Commission recommendations

NEW DELHI: Government has set up a 13-member Empowered Committee of Secretaries (CoS) headed by Cabinet Secretary for processing recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission, which has bearing on remuneration of 47 lakh central government employees and 52 lakh pensioners.

"The Empowered Committee will function as a screening committee to screen the recommendations of the Commission after taking into account the views of the concerned stakeholders... so as to firm up the final conclusion for approval of the Cabinet," said an office memorandum of the Finance Ministry.

The implementation of the new pay scales is estimated to put an additional burden of Rs 1.02 lakh crore on the exchequer in 2016-17. Subject to acceptance by the government, they will take effect from January 1, 2016.

The final recommendations of the committee will be submitted for approval of the Cabinet.

On January 13, the Cabinet had approved setting up of the panel.

The committee has secretaries from ministries of Home Affairs and Defence. It has secretaries from department of personnel and training, pension and PW, revenue, expenditure, posts, health, and science and technology. Chairman of Railway Board, Deputy CAG and Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat are also on the panel.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had earlier said that he was not worried about fiscal deficit and government would be able to meet its target despite additional outgo on account of higher pay.

He had however admitted that the impact of implementing the recommendations, which will result in an additional annual burden of Rs 1.02 lakh crore on exchequer, would last for two to three years.