State constitutes 6th pay commission

SNS Kolkata, 28 November, 2015, The state government has constituted the sixth pay commission on Friday for state government employees and certain other categories of employees. 

Abhirup Sarkar, professor of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) is the chairman of the eight-member sixth pay commission. It has been learnt that the commission will submit its report within six months. 

The commission will examine the existing promotion policies and related issues and provide suggestion for suitable changes. The commission will also examine special allowance and other allowances, concessions including traveling allowance and other benefits which are available to the employees in addition to the pay and suggest change. 

The commission will devise its own procedures and may appoint such advisors, institutional consultants and experts as it may consider necessary for any particular purpose in consultation with the state government.

The commission may call for such information and take such evidence as may be considered necessary. The different departments of the state government and offices sub-ordinate to them will furnish such information, documents and other assistance. 

The commission may submit interim recommendations if found necessary or if so desired by the government.

"The commission will submit their recommendations as expeditiously as practicable but preferably within a period of six months from the date of order notifying the constitution of the    commission," a senior official of the finance department said. 

Monoj Chakraborty, general secretary of the Trinamul Congress backed Paschimbanga Rajya Sarkari Karmachari Federation welcomed this decision of the state government for formatting of the sixth pay commission, but the state co-ordination committee considered that this is an eye wash before the upcoming Assembly election. 

Monoj Kanti Guha, general secretary of the state co-ordination committee, said that the state government has no intention to clear the dues of its employees. “Even several recommendations of the fifth pay commission including leave traveling concession matters, promotion of the technical employees and other cadre payment were not implemented. So we are skeptical about the formation of the sixth pay commission and its implementation,” said Guha. 

He also said that the state government is yet to clear 54 per cent of the dearness allowance (DA), so it is unlikely that the same government will implement the recommendation of the sixth pay commission.