6th Pay Commission: State employees demand interim relief of 30 pc
- Employees appeal to 6th Pay Commission to recommend 30 per cent interim relief
- Karnataka government employees’ salaries and allowances are lowest in the country
- 7.94 lakh jobs are vacant in the government and only 5.45 employees are managing the workload
- Appeal to cancel holidays for 20 Jayanthis, instead declare 2nd and 4th Saturdays holidays
FollowThe Karnataka State Government Employees Union has appealed to the 6th Pay Commission to recommend to the State government to release 30 per cent as an interim relief. President of the union BP Manjegowda and other office-bearers submitted a memorandum to the Chairman of the Commission MR Srinivasamurthy on Friday.
Speaking to newspersons after submitting the appeal BV Manjegowda said the differences in wages of Central and State government employees are minimum 51 per cent and maximum 135 percent. Compared to the neighbouring states, with Andhra Pradesh employees there is a minimum 25 per cent and maximum 65 per cent, with Kerala minimum 51 per cent and maximum 56 per cent. These states are utilising 30.58 per cent and 28.77 per cent of their respective budget annually. However in Karnataka, only 17.54 per cent is being utilised, he said.
Rest of the 28 states in the country are giving salaries and allowances equal to Central Government employees. Karnataka government employees’ salaries and allowances are lowest in the country, he said.
The Commission will be submitting its report by September 31. The price escalation in the market is alarming and life has become difficult. Hence the Commission is requested to recommend to the State government to release an interim relief of 30 per cent based on the basic pay, as applicable to April 1, retrospective, he said, reports Kannada Prabha.
Currently, there are 7.94 lakh jobs vacant in various departments of the government and only 5.45 employees are managing the workload. Vacant posts must be filled up, Manjegowda urged. He also said that the Commission has been appealed to advise the government to cancel holidays for various Jayanthis totalling 20. Instead 2nd and 4th Saturdays can be declared holidays. For this, Chairman of the Commission MR Srinivasamurthy said he would examine the appeal and recommend in due course.
