By Husna Anjum
New Delhi, Oct 1, 2008: Sixth Pay Commission notification has brought some joy to people’s lives. It has made 5.5 million central government employees happy. They say the pay panel recommendations’ implementation could not have come at a more opportune time. It has relieved millions of Government employees from top to the lowest order.
Steep price rise had troubled central government employees like never before. The inflation had eaten into the savings of the most people and most of the people had to fall back on either loans from relatives or from banks at ever increasing rates.
The life was becoming very tough for most of the people who work in the central government enterprises. The cash crunch was affecting most of the families and they were under increasing distress.
Sixth pay commission at least relieves the central government employees in some small ways. The 40 percent arrears that the central government workers will get this month will help them pay their debts and also save a part of the money that comes their way.
Though many people are not pleased with the way only 40 percent amount of arrears is being paid this year. Many people say that they had hoped that they will be paid full arrears in one go and that it would have helped them tide over their precarious economic condition in a better way. They say that 40 percent arrears is insignificant for them and would do no good to their lives.
Manjeet Singh who works with central school says that he had to go for a large loan to take care of his kids’ education, hoping that he would be able to pay for the loan when his arrears are paid, but he says that he will have to take loan again to pay for the previous loan as the 40 percent arrear he is being paid this year is utterly insignificant for the purpose.
The same is the story of Rekha Bhardwaj, who is working with postal department. She feels that neither pay rise is sufficient to tide over the increasing inflation nor 40 percent payment of arrears are enough to take care of loan that they have been forced to take during the last one year.
But there are many people who say that it will help them in some ways at least. Rajeev, a central government employee in New Delhi says that with increasing inflation he was under increased distress. No amount of restrained spending was enough to keep the household expenses under control. Repeatedly I was forced to borrow during the last six months.
Rajeev adds that the new pay raise will give him and his family some breathing space and the back pay would help him pay the loan he has accumulated.
The same is the story of most of the central government employees. With inflation hovering around 13 percent, the highest in more than a decade, the life of ordinary people has changed from bad to worse. But for at least 4.5 million central government employees it gives some respite.
The pay hike would cost union government 125.61 billion rupees for the current fiscal year 2008/09, and 180.60 billion rupees in backpay from January 2006 till date.
Source: http://www.khabrein.info
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