Minutes of National Anomaly Committee Meeting

F.No.11/2/2016-JCA-I(Pt.)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel Training

North Block, New Delhi
Dated: 16 February, 2018

To

Shri Shiv Gopal Mishra
Secretary, Staff-Side
National Council (Staff Side)
Joint Consultative Machinery for, Central Government Employees
13-C, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi-110001

Subject: Minutes of the Meeting held on 11.01.2018 to discuss the admissibility of the agenda items received from the Staff Side, NC (JCM) for discussion in the National Anomaly Committee (NAC) for the 7th Central Pay Commission.

Sir,

Please find enclosed a copy of the Minutes of the meeting held under the Chairmanship of Joint Secretary (Establishment) on Thursday the 11th January, 2018 at 1500 hours in Room No. 190, conference Room, North Block, New Delhi with the representatives of Staff Side, NC(JCM) for information and necessary action.
2. As per discussion in the above meeting, Staff Side may please reconsider their views on Item No. 7. A copy of the recording during the meeting enclosed for perusual.

Yours faithfully,
(D.K. Sengupta)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India
Tel. 23040255

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 11.01.2018 TO DISCUSS THE ADMISSIBILITY OF THE AGENDA ITEMS RECEIVED FROM THE STAFF SIDE FOR DISCUSSION IN THE NATIONAL ANOMALY COMMITTEE (NAC) FOR THE 7TH CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION

A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Shri G.D. Tripathi, Joint Secretary (Establishment), Department of Personnel & Training with the representatives of Staff Side of the National Anomaly Committee and senior officers from the other Ministries/Departments concerned at 3.00 p.m. on 11.01.2018 in Room No. 190, North Block, DoPT, New Delhi to consider the admissibility of the 18 itmes of anomaly forwarded by the Staff-Side of the National Council of JCM for settlement through discussion at the NAC constituted after the Seventh Central Pay Commission. The list of participants is at Annexure.

2. The Chairman welcomed the representatives of the Staff-Side of the National Anomaly Committee and asked Deputy Secretary (JCA) to briefly inform the participants the purpose for convening this meeting.
3. Deputy Secretary (JCA) informed that following the acceptance of the recommendations – to the extent they have been – of the 7th Central Pay Commission by the Government, the National Anomaly Committee has been constituted by DoPT. Subsequently, on receipt of a representation from the Staff Side, NC(JCM), the definition of what would constitute an anomaly has been revised and notified. Therefore, as per the revised scope of definition, anomaly will include the following cases;

a) Where the Official-Side and the Staff-Side are of the opinion that any recommendation is in contravention of the principle or the policy enunciated by the Seventh Central Pay Commission itself without the Commission assigning any reason;

b) Where the maximum of the Level in the Pay Matrix corresponding to the applicable Grade Pay in the Pay Band under the pre-revised structure as notified vide CCS(RP) Rules 2016, is less than the amount an employee is entitled to be fixed at, as per the formula for fixation of pay contained in the said Rules;

c) Where the Official side and the Staff Side are of the opinion that the vertical and horizontal relativities have been disturbed as a result of the 7th Central Pay Commission to give rise to anomalous situation.

4. Deputy Secretary (JCA) mentioned that a letter dated 16.08.2017 had been received from Secretary, Staff-Side proposing to discuss 15 items in the National Anomaly Committee (NAC). Subsequently, another letter dated 31.08.2017 was also received proposing 3 additional items. On examining these 18 items against the three (03) yardsticks as stated in para-3 above, it was felt that while some agenda items clearly fall within the definition of ‘anomaly’, there are a few which cannot be termed ‘anomaly’ as such, bordering more, as they are, on the side of ‘demands’. There are a few more which apparently by virtue of affecting the interests of one Department should rather be taken up at the Departmental Anomaly Committee. On sharing the findings of this Preliminary examination with the Secretary, Staff-Side, a communication was received from him suggesting inter-alia, besides giving their own reasons for retaining the same agenda – except one item – for the NAC deliberations, that a meeting be convened to discuss and finalize the items so as to to avoid delay in convening the NAC meeting.

5. The Chairman then requested the leader of the Staff-Side and other members to put across their points of view on the issue.

6. The Leader, Staff-Side, thanked the Chairman for convening the meeting at the suggestion of Secretary, Staff-Side and initiated the discussion by emphasising that the next meeting of the National Council under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary should be held urgently as more than 7 years have passed since the last such meeting was held. He referred to the background against which the JCM scheme has been institutionalized and stressed that the purpose of JCM is to avoid confrontation between the Government and its employees. He requested that the sentiments of the Staff-Side may be conveyed to the Cabinet Secretary so that the meeting of the National Council, JCM may be held without any further delay. He also suggested that the Cabinet Secretary should meet the Standing Committee of the National Council, JCM soon after the Republic Day celebrations so that the deliberations can be be held on all pending issues. The Leader, Staff-Side further stated that there are many issues arising out of the 7th Central Pay Commission’s recommendations which are still to be settled to the satisfaction of the Staff-Side. He particularly mentioned about the recommendations relating to New Pension Scheme, Minimum Pay, Fitment Formula, etc.

7. Secretary, Staff-Side also expressed similar views about lack of interaction between the Official-Side and the Staff-Side. He mentioned that the institutions of JCM machinery has become defunct and stated that the meetings of the Standing Committee and the National Council, JCM should be called without any further delay. He also mentioned that the Group of Ministers had met the staff representatives and given some assurances for favourable consideration regarding the Minimum Pay and Fitment Formula. But even after 1-1/2 years, no decision has been conveyed by the Government. He regretted that inspite of the report submitted by NPS Committee, nothing fruitful has been done for bringing new pensioners under defined and guaranteed pension scheme. He stated that based on the assurance given by the group of Ministers, the Staff Side had deferred the call for strike but now it is getting very difficult for them to control the resentments of the staff. He stressed the need for frequent interactions so that each side can appreciate the other’s views. He also mentioned that no decision has yet been conveyed on the 6th CPC related unresolved anomalies which, the Staff-Side feels, should be sent for arbitration as the Staff-Side has recorded its dissatisfaction on them.
(Action: D/o Pension & JCA Division, DoPT)
8. The Staff-Side members representing M/o Defence stated that they are on a hunger fast joining with the 4 lakhs Defence Civilian Employees to protest against the various decisions taken by Ministry of Defence against their interest. They lodged their protest aginst what they called ‘arbitary’ policy decisions made by the Government about outsourcing of jobs hitherto done in the ordince factories, converting Army Base Workshops to GOCO Model, closure of Station Workshops, Military Farms and Depots under Army Headquarters thereby rendering 31,000 Employees surplus including 9000 employees of Military Engineer Service, granting Uniform Allowance to the soldiers by stopping the practice of getting them stitched through almost 12000 Employees in 5 Ordnance Factories etc. This is against the assurance given by the Defence Ministry in the past to the Staff Side that the jobs being perfomed by ordnance factories would be outsourced. They also protested against the violation of the direction of Cabinet Secretary by the Ministry of Defence in that the Staff Side has not been consulted before deciding on outsourcing, closure, merger, declaring manpower surplus etc. They demanded that MoD may be directed to immediately hold discussions with the Staff Side and settle the issues in the interst of the Defence Industry and its employees
(Action: M/o Defence)
9. The Staff Side also raised the following issues:-
a) The demand of the Staff Side for extension of the date of option for switching over to 7th CPC Pay Scales from a date on which the employee got promotion/MACP is not yet settled. Necessary instructions may be issued in this regard.
(Action: Establishment Division, DoPT)
b) The Report of the NPS Committee even though submitted to the Government in August, 2017 the Staff Side is not yet given a copy of the same. The same may be given to the Staff Side and a meeting may also be held with the Staff Side by the Government before taking any decision on the recommendations of the NPS Committee.
(Action: D/o P & PW)
c) The Staff Side also pointed out what they felt arbitrariness of the decision of the Government to close down the various printing presses without even holding any discussion with the Staff Side. The employees have been asked to immediately get themselves, relived and join at faraway places. They added that assurances were given by the Cabinet Secretary at the National Council that the Government would discuss the problems faced by the staff and resolve the same in all cases when the Government decides to wind up any of its functions.
(Action: M/o Urban Development)

10. The Chairman stated that he has taken note of all the concerns expressed by the Leader, Staff-Side, Secretary Staff-Side and the other representatives of the Staff-Side. He stated that the work on finalizing the comments on the Agenda for the meeting with the National Council, JCM has been going on and another two weeks would be required to finalize the comments and thereafter the convenience of the Cabinet Secretary would be sought so that the meeting of the Standing Committee can be held in the month of February, 2018. He stated that the purpose of today’s meeting was to familiarize with the issues as well as to arrive at a mutually agreed decisions as to which of them should be taken up for discussion and settlement at the NAC so that the first meeting can be convened at the earliest. He further emphasised that the items on which the Government, has held a view different from that of the 7th CPC would not be taken up for discussion at the NAC since the Government decisions on them are well-thought-out and conscious ones. However, where there is a disagreement between what has been recommended and what the 7th CPC should have recommended as part of its policy/principles would figure in NAC discussion.

11. It was seen that there are seven (7) proposed items which clearly fall within the definition of ‘Anomaly’. At the conclusion of the discussions, the following was agreed to in respect of the remaining eleven (11) items:

Item No.	Description	Decision
1	Anomaly in computation of minimum wage	In view of the response of Secretary, Staff-Side, the JCA Division will re-examine.
2	3% Increment in all stages	In view of the response of Secretary, Staff-Side, the JCA Divison will re-examine
6	Remove Anomaly due to index rationalization	In view of the response of Secretary, Staff-Side, the JCA Divison will re-examine
7	Anomaly arising from the decision to reject option No.1 in pension fixation	Sent back to Staff-Side for reconsideration of its views
10	Minimum Pension	The Staff-Side will take up this issue with the Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare separately. This will not be treated as an anomaly.
11	Date of effect of Allowances-HRA, Transport Allowance, CEA etc	Thil will be taken up separately as an item in the Standing Committee meeting
12.	Implement the recommendation on Parity in Pay Scale between Sr. Auditors / Sr. Accountant of 1A & AD and organized Accounts with Assistant Section Officer of CSS.	As this was already under examination in the Department of Personnel & Training it would not be taken up for discussion in NAC at this stage. If it remains undecided at the later stage, it will be included for discussion in NAC.
13	Parity in pay scales between Assistants/ Stenographers in field/ subordinate offices and Assistant Section Offices and Stenographers in CSS	The Staff-Side, NC (JCM) will provide additional details
15	Technical Supervisors of Railways	The Staff-Side, NC(JCM) will take up this issue at the Departmental Anomaly Committee of Ministry of Railways.
16.	Anomaly in the assignment of replacement of Levels of pay in the Ministry of Defence, Railways, Mines etc in the case of Store Keepers.	The Staff-Side, NC (JCM) will take up this issue at the Departmental Anomaly Committee of Ministry of Defence. JCA Division will write to Ministry of Defence in this regard.
18.	Anomaly in the grant of DA instalment w.e.f. 01.01.2016	In view of the response of Secretary, Staff-Side, the JCA Division will re-examine.

12. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the Chair.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE PRE-NATIONAL
ANOMALY COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL (JCM) HELD ON 11/01/2018

S.No.	Staff-Side	Official-Side
1	Shri Shiv Gopal Misra	Shri G.D. Tripathi
2.	Shri M. Raghavaiah,	Shri Amar Nath Singh
3	Shri Rakhal Das Gupta	Shri Harjit Singh
4	Shri J.R. Bhosle	Ms. Sujasha Choudhury
5	Shri Guman Singh	Ms. Nirmala Dev.
6	Shri C.Srikumar	Shri Jaya Kumar.G.
7	Shri K.K.N. Kutty	Shri A.K. Jain
8	Shri Sankara Rao	Shri Charanjit Taneja
9	Shri R. Srinivasan	Shri Rajeev Kumar Bahree
10	Shri R.P. Bhatnagar	Shri Ram Gopal

7TH PAY COMMISSION LATEST NEWS: PANEL FORMED TO FIX PAY STRUCTURE

7th Pay Commission : Government decided to set panel to hike employees salary | Oneindia News There is good news on the 7th Pay Commission. The Finance Ministry is set to hike the salaries of Central Government employees. 7th Pay Commission: Latest news, panel formed to fix pay structure Now a panel has been formed to decide on the pay hike. The panel is expected to give its report in six months time. The panel is expected to be headed by Pradeep Kumar Sinha, the Cabinet secretary. An official announcement to this effect is expected soon. The job of the panel would be to recommend the new pay structure. The panel will have officials from the Home and Defence Ministry, department of personnel and training among others. A decision on the pensioners too would be taken. The government does not want any further speculation on the matter. There are deliberations and discussions on in this regard. A source said that the government wants to close this matter once and for all. The government is also aware that this issue matters to a large section. There are 1 crore people who will be affected by this decision. Both CG employees and pensioners put together account for at least 1 crore people. This is a huge vote bank and for the 2019 elections, this is an important issue. With talks of the elections being advanced, the pay hike may come in April. Most of these people are unlikely to vote for the NDA if a pay hike is not effected. CG employees and pensioners were unhappy with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. The government had recommended it with 34 modifications. All sources indicate that the hike will come in April. However there would be no arrears, the sources also confirmed.
https://www.oneindia.com/india/

7th Pay Commission: Minimum wage hike soon to become a reality, impacting 48 lakh employees

 

Seventeen months after the 7th pay commission recommendations were announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Parliament, the Modi government is now working to transform minimum wage hike into a reality. Once the minimum wage hike is in place, it would touch the lives of 48 lakh government employees.  According to reports, the minimum wage hike would be helpful for lower-level employees across grade 1 to 5.

According to reports, an official in the FM office said that the government is committed to increasing the minimum wage of central government employees. Furthermore, reports say that the government is trying to hike the minimum wage in pay with fitment formula 3.00 times of basic pay of 6th pay commission.
The new scales would increase the entry-level basic pay to Rs 18,000 from Rs 7,000. For Class 1 officials, the starting salary would be Rs 56,000. For the highest level, which is Secretary, it would go up to Rs 2.5 lakh from Rs 90,000.
However, government employees have been urging for a hike in minimum pay for Rs 26,000, with a fitment formula of 3.68 times.
In June 2017, the Union Cabinet had approved CPC recommendations with 34 modifications, adding Rs 30,748 on the exchequer.
All allowances are given effect from July 1, 2017.
Including the 48 lakh central government employees and 58 lakh pensioners, the 7th Pay Commission recommendations would affect more than a crore employees.
 https://www.blogger.com/blogger.

7th Pay Commission: Pay hikes set to affect from new financial year

 

New Delhi: The lower-level employees working with Central government will get a boost in their pay starting in new financial year, as pay hikes take effect.

The government should not have broken FM Arun Jaitley ’s promise with respect to Parliament.

The government was committed to raising the minimum pay from Rs 18,000 per month, with the increase of fitment factor, under Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s promise for hiking salaries of lower-level employees beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations in Rajya Sabha on July 19, 2016.
There is a proposal under consideration for raising pay of lower-level central government employees upto the pay matrix level 5 from current fitment factor 2.57 to 3.00, but the central government employees unions are demanding for hike fitment factor 3.68 and minimum pay above the current Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000, a senior government official said on condition of anonymity.
Earlier, The 7th pay panel recommended minimum pay Rs 18,000 per month while the maximum pay from Rs 2.5 lakh, with a fitment factor of 2.57 times of basic pay of 6th pay commission uniformly for replacing the 6th pay commission pay scales, which was got cabinet nod on June 29, 2016.
A union leader said, it would help lower-level employees pay for necessities, where rising costs have long outpaced pay increases for the central government employees.
“The political parties have created a system where the government pays employees less but need them to spend more,” said the leader. “That causes middle-class families to fall down the economic ladder. It’s the reason our middle class is shrinking and the reason we are facing the largest gap between upper- and lower-income in India since Independence.”
The government formed the National Anomaly Committee (NAC) in September 2016 to resolve pay anomalies, following the promise of the Finance Minister Jaitley. The minimum pay Rs 21,000 with fitment factor 3.00 was likely to be given nod by the NAC in last year.
In the meantime, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued a letter on October 30, last year stating that the demand for increase in minimum Pay and fitment formula do not appear to be treated as anomaly, therefore, these do not come under the purview of NAC, which hurt the central government employees, and debate now continues on whether government should respect FM Jaitley’s promise of increasing pay for employees, the government official said.
He added, the government should not have broken FM Jaitley’s promise with respect to Parliament, it now falls the Finance Ministry, to make good on FM’s pay hike pledge, so the ministry is mulling to increase the pay of employees, who get salaries from pay matrix level 1 to 5, from April, ignoring the DoPT letter on October 30.
http://www.tkbsen.in/2018/02/7th-pay 

PCDA Circular No.596 – 7th Central Pay Commission – Revision of Disability/ War Injury pension for Pre-01.01.2016 Defence Forces pensioners

PCDA Circular No.596 – 7th Central Pay Commission – Revision of Disability/ War Injury pension for Pre-01.01.2016 Defence Forces pensioners

 Circular No. 596

Dated: 09th February, 2018

To,

1. The Chief Accountant, RBI, Deptt. Of Govt. Bank Accounts, Central office C-7, Second Floor, Bandre- Kurla Complex, P B No. 8143, Bandre East Mumbai- 400051
2. All CMDs, Public Sector Banks including IDBI Bank
3. Nodal Officers, ICICl/ HDFC/ AXIS/ IDBI Banks
4. Managers, All CPPCs
5. Military and Air Attache, Indian Embassy, Kathmandu, Nepal
6. The PCDA (WC), Chandigarh
7. The CDA (PD), Meerut
8. The CDA, Chennai
9. The Director of Treasuries, All States
10. The Pay and Accounts Officer, Delhi Administration, RK Puram and Tis Hazari, New Delhi
11. The Pay and Accounts Office, Govt of Maharashtra, Mumbai
12. The Post Master Kathua (J&K)
13. The Post Master Camp Bell Bay
14. The Pr. Pay and Accounts Officer, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Port Blair

Subject: Implementation of Government decision on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC)- Revision of Disability/ War Injury pension for Pre-01.01.2016 Defence Forces pensioners reg.

Reference: This office Circular No. 570 dated 31.10.2016, Circular No. 582 dated 05.09.2017 and Circular No. 585 dated 21.09.2017.

(Available on this office website www.pcdapension.nic.in)

Copy of GOI, MOD letter No. 17(01)/2017(01)/D(Pen/Policy) dated 23rd January, 2018 on the above subject, which is self-explanatory, is forwarded herewith for further necessary action at your end.

2. In terms of Para-2 of GOI, MOD letter No. 17(01)/2017(01)/D(Pension/ Policy) dated 04th September,2017, Disability Element of Disability Pension to Armed Forces Pensioners has to be revised by multiplying the existing rate of Disability Element as had been drawn on 31.12.2015 by factor of 2.57 to arrive at revised rate of Disability Element as on 01.01.2016. Further, in terms of Para-5.2 & 5.3 of GOI, MOD letter No. 17(01)/2017(02)/D(Pension/Policy) dated 05th September’ 2017, Disability Pensionary awards has to be revised on notional pay fixation method and benefits of broad banding will be given to discharge cases also as in invalided out cases and these will be done by issuing Corrigendum Pension Payment Order (PPO).

3. Now, consequent upon the issue of GOI, MOD letter dated 23rd January, 2018, the cases where Armed Forces Pensioners who were retired/ discharged voluntary or otherwise with disability and they were in receipt of Disability/ War Injury Element as on 31.12.2015, their extent of disability/ War Injury Element shall be re-computed in the following manner given below, before applying the multiplication factor of 2.57 on existing disability/ war injury element as on 31.12.2015 for getting the revised disability/ war injury element as on 01.01.2016 in accordance to Para-2 of GOI, MOD letter No. 17(01)/2017(01)/D(Pension/ Policy) dated 04th September’ 2017.

4.  The Note below Para-12 of GOI, MOD letter No. 17(01)/2016-D(Pen/Pol) dated  29th October, 2016 (circulated vide Circular No. 570 dated 31.10.2016) stands deleted. In other words, quantum of additional pension available to old age pensioners after attaining the age of 80 years and above shall also be admissible on revised disability/ war injury element.

5. It is also stated that PDAs may take utmost care during revision of Disability/War Injury Element as per this order in those cases where the pensioners who are in receipt of 50% of Disability/ War Injury Element of Disability/ War Injury Pension. If the individual has already been given rounding of benefit through PPO (in invalided out cases) then rounding of benefit in such cases should not be given. However, where his disability was assessed as 50% in discharge cases then it will be rounded to 75% as mentioned in Para-3 above. If the PDAs found any problem regarding identification of such cases the same may please be forwarded to Audit Section of this office.

6. All Pension Disbursing Agencies handling disbursement of pension to the Defence Pensioner are hereby authorized to pay benefit of rounding off disability/ war injury and additional pension as per Para 3 & 5 above without any further authorization from the concerned Pension Sanctioning Authorities.

7. Provisions of GOI, MOD letter No. 17(01)/2017(01)/D(Pen/Policy) dated 23rd January, 2018 shall take effect from 01.01.2016.

8. This circular has been uploaded on this office website www.pcdapension.nic.in  for dissemination to all alongwith Defence pensioners and Pension Disbursing Agencies.

S/d,
Dy. Controller(P)

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7th Pay Commission: FinMin to begin work on draft proposal of central staff salary

 

Union Finance Ministry will soon begin the preparation for draft proposal related to the salaries of Central government employees, said media reports.
The Central government staff will reportedly get hiked salary beyond the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission from April 1.
Last year in June, the Union Cabinet had approved recommendations of the CPC with 34 modifications which would reportedly put an additional annual burden of Rs 30,748 crore on the exchequer.
All the allowances are given effect from July 1, 2017.
As many as one crore central employees would get benefit from this recommendation. Of the 47 lakh central government employees, 53 lakh are pensioners.
Key highlights of the recommendations:

The minimum pay of a newly recruited government employee at entry level is increased from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 per month. For a newly appointed class I officer, the minimum salary has been increased to Rs 56,100 per month.
The pay panel has also recommended to increase the maximum pay for government employees to Rs 2.25 lakh per month for top scale that includes Cabinet Secretary and others working at the same level.
The commission has also recommended a new pay matrix. Once the pay panel recommendations are implemented, the status of a government employee will not be decided by grade pay, but by the level in the new pay matrix.
The new pay structure included all existing levels and has not introduced any new levels.
As per the recommendations, all employees would be entitled to get full pay and allowances if they are hospitalised due to WRIIL-Work Related Illness and Injury Leave.
The commission has recommended a uniform fitment factor to eliminate partiality and discrimination in the system.
The panel has also suggested to retain the annual increment of 3% p.a.
For improving the quality of services, the panel has recommended to focus on individual performance. The performance benchmarks of Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) has been altered and made stricter.
The panel report also recommends that no annual increments should be given to employees who do not meet their performance level. Besides, no promotions will be given if MACP is low for the first 20 years in service.

http://www.zeebiz.com/india