Term of 7th Central Pay Commission extended till 31 December

The government has extended the term of the Seventh Pay Commission, which is to advise the government on the revision of salaries of some 4.8 million central government employees and 5.5 million pensioners, by four months.

This means that the commission, which was set up in February 2014, will now have time until 31 December to submit its report.

''The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gave its approval for the extension of the term of the 7th Central Pay Commission by four months, ie, up to 31 December 2015,'' an official release stated.

The 7th Central Pay Commission was constituted by the previous UPA government on 28 February 2014. The commission was to make recommendations within 18 months of the date of its constitution that is by 27 August 2015.

''In view of its volume of work and intensive stake-holders' consultations, the 7th Central Pay Commission had made a request to the government for a four month extension up to 31 December 2015,'' the release added.

Government constitutes the Pay Commission almost every 10 years to revise the pay scale of its employees and often these are adopted by states after some modifications.

The commission, headed by Justice A K Mathur, has already completed discussions with various stakeholders, including organisations, federations, groups representing civil employees as well as defence services, and is in the process of finalising its recommendations.

The recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission are scheduled to be implemented from 1 January 2016.

Recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission was implemented from 1 January 2006, the fifth from 1 January 1996 and the fourth from 1 January 1986.