Bhubaneswar: Odisha government is likely to implement the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for its employees and pensioners by next month as Finance Minister S B Behera has hinted that the government is planning to roll out the new pay scale soon.
"We have received the report from the fitment committee and the government is considering to implement the new pay scale for the employees soon," said Behera, adding that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would take a decision on how soon the employees would receive their salary with the enhanced amount.
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“We have got an indication from CM Naveen that implementation of the 7th Pay is on the cards. We are expecting the revised pay by Dussehra,” said a retired State government employee who was a part of the delegation of employees that went to wish the CM after his achievement as the best administrator at Outlook Speakout awards.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Naba Das said: The ruling BJD government will implement the 7th Pay Commission once the dates of the general elections come nearer and try to take advantage of it. BJD is an incompetent government and the delay in rolling out the revised pay and the ongoing strike of the block grant teachers has proved it.
"Neither have we given any deadline to the government for the implementation of the 7th Pay nor have we called for any strike. However, we expect the government to implement it by the Puja in the very interest of the employees," said general secretary of Odisha Secretariat Service Association, Krishna Prasad Mahapatra.
“The government must spend the Rs 1500 crore that it will get annually from IOCL to implement the 7th Pay Commission, improve the healthcare facility, regularise the block grant teachers and recruit and fill the vacant teacher posts across the State,” said senior BJP leader KV Singhdeo.
Apart from the IOCL money, the government is likely to get Rs 17,000 crore from the companies involved in illegal mining.
On the other hand, the state government is worried about a loan of Rs 3,000 crore it had taken from the open market during the first five months of the 2017-18 fiscal, said sources.
However, notwithstanding the brewing resentment among the employees, the state government is under constant pressure from employees’ unions as the Seventh Pay Commission Recommendations have been implemented with effect from January 1, 2016 in some States.
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With the grant of revised pay, the state government would have to bear be an extra load of Rs 5,500 crore per annum on state exchequer, sources stated.