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Good News: Bengal to implement 6th Pay Commission next year

The chief minister said a state government employee who used to get Rs 7,000 basic pay would see that raised to Rs 17,990. The gross amount would be Rs 20,148 now, she further said. State government employees would now be eligible to draw Rs 10 lakh as gratuity as the highest limit, which was earlier Rs 6 lakh. Government employees apart, Mamata Banerjee also announced schemes for jobless and needy journalists.

Good News: Bengal to implement 6th Pay Commission next year

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (Photo: SNS)

Seeking to lift the sagging morale of state government employees, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced the government’s decision to accept the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, which would be implemented from 1 January, 2020.

The chief minister said a state government employee who used to get Rs 7,000 basic pay would see that raised to Rs 17,990.

The gross amount would be Rs 20,148 now, she further said. The state government employees would now be eligible to draw Rs 10 lakh as gratuity as the highest limit, which was earlier Rs 6 lakh.

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The government employees apart, Mamata Banerjee also announced schemes for “jobless and needy journalists”.

Addressing an organisational conference of state government employees at Netaji Indoor stadium, Ms Banerjee said, “The more you will give to the government, the more will you be in a position to draw from this government. We’re trying our best to always be by the side of the employees. The state government has accepted the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, for which the report has been submitted today. The recommendations would be implemented from 1 January, 2020.”

Miss Banerjee further said, “As per the recommendations, an employee who used to draw a basic salary of Rs 7,000, now after the implementation of the recommendations, he will draw Rs 17,990 as his basic pay and Rs 20,148 as gross amount taking into account all other benefits. Furthermore, the government employees’ gratuity will now be Rs 10 lakh, which was earlier Rs 6 lakh. This pay commission will continue, I shall not scuttle it.”

Launching a diatribe against the Centre, the chief minister said that pension schemes for the retired government employees was “a thing in the past” in all the states except Bengal, where the government continues to provide pensions for the retired persons.

“The pension scheme, which is in vogue now, is the contributory pension scheme of which the Centre’s stake is 8.33 per cent and the state’s stake is 8.33 per cent. But here in Bengal, we are the only state which has still kept the pension scheme for the retired persons keeping in mind the degrading economic situation,” Miss Banerjee added.

Continuing her tirade against the Centre for its alleged attempt to divest 42 PSUs, the chief minister said a meeting of the Central government employees had been convened on 23 September which she would preside to discuss their woes and to stymie the alleged move to privatise BSNL, Air India, Railways, Ordnance factories, and the merger of banks, “Repeated requests and a number of missives to the Centre requesting to put a lid on the move to divest PSUs fell on deaf ears. I have decided to convene a meeting of the Central government employees on 23 September, which I shall preside to discuss their woes,” Miss Banerjee said.

Meanwhile, in a gesture to the journalists, Miss Banerjee announced, “The journalists who are beset with job loss don’t have to worry as the state government has decided to address their problem. Those who are the victims of lay-offs would be eligible for Rs 10,000 allowance for two years as interim protection. In case some journalists die, the kin will get Rs 2 lakh.”

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