7th Pay panel: Fitment Committee strats talks with employees’ bodies

Bhubaneswar,
Nov 18: The Fitment Committee constituted by the Odisha Government for
preparing modalities for implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations
for its employees and pensioners on Friday started holding discussion with different
recognised Government employees’ associations here at the State Guest House.

The
committee will hear around 120 associations till November 23 in six working
days. As per the reports, the committee will hold discussions with 20
associations daily.

“The
Fitment Committee will analyse the suggestions, demands and representations of different
associations after completion of the process. Accordingly, it will submit its
report to the State Government,” said committee head and Development
Commissioner R Balkrishnan.

The
other members of the committee are Home Department Principal Secretary Asit
Kumar Tripathy, Forests and Environment Department Principal Secretary Suresh
Chandra Mohapatra, Finance Department Principal Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey,
Special Secretary in Finance Department AKK Meena and officer on special
duty-cum-Special Secretary in Finance Department AK Mishra.

The
committee will submit its report in four months.

The
Seventh Pay Commission headed by Justice AK Mathur had recommended a 23.55 per
cent overall hike in pay, allowances and pension for Central Government
employees with effect from January 1 this year.

In
Odisha the implementation of panel will cost the exchequer about Rs 5,500 crore
annually against the present expense of Rs 29,836 crore.

The
employees are demanding hike in grade pay, allowances.