Seventh Pay Commission Effective! The recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission will be implemented in Karnataka from August 1, which will benefit more than seven lakh government employees of the state. The Chief Minister will announce the salary hike during the assembly session.
7th Pay Commission, Salary Hiked: The Karnataka cabinet has decided to implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission from August 1. The Chief Minister is going to announce a hike in the salary of more than seven lakh state government employees during the assembly session. News agency PTI reported this quoting official sources.
Speaking on the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge told reporters, “The 7th Pay Commission was one of the demands of the people and it was also in our manifesto. Yesterday we brought it to the cabinet and it will benefit around 14 to 15 lakh employees of the state…”
How much burden will it put on the government exchequer?
According to a PTI report, the Seventh Pay Commission, headed by former Chief Secretary K Sudhakar Rao, has suggested a 27.5 per cent hike in the basic pay of government employees, which is expected to put an additional burden of Rs 17,440.15 crore annually on the exchequer.
The decision comes at a time when the Siddaramaiah government was under pressure to approve the pay hike, especially after the Karnataka State Government Employees Association said it would launch an indefinite strike in August.
Sources told PTI that, ‘In March 2023, then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had given an interim 17 per cent salary hike to the employees, to which the Siddaramaiah administration may add a hike of 10.5 per cent, which will be a 27.5 per cent hike on the basic pay as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendation.’
Loss due to free bus travel for women
Earlier on July 15, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) had planned to propose a hike in bus fares by up to 20 per cent, citing huge financial losses. According to a PTI report, KSRTC has reported a loss of Rs 295 crore in the last three months, the main reason for which is the Shakti scheme, under which women are provided free bus travel in Karnataka.
KSRTC Chairman SR Srinivas said, ‘The last time the bus ticket price was increased was in 2019. It has been five years since then, there has been no increase. Fare hike is inevitable due to the rise in oil prices. It is necessary to adjust the rates to increase salaries and provide benefits to employees.’ He also said that the salary revision for KSRTC employees was done in 2020, while the next revision is scheduled for 2024.
