The government yesterday issued the eagerly awaited orders to formally implement the recommendations of The 6th Pay Commission in Jammu and Kashmir. In keeping with the agreement reached between the cabinet sub-committee and the Joint Consultative Committee of various employees associations, SRO 93 and SRO 94 were issued this evening to give effect to the revision of pay scales of government employees and pensioners.
The 100-page SROs were issued following clearance by the Election Commission as required by the Model Code of Conduct present in force in view of parliamentary polls.The chief electoral officer, BR Sharma, told Greater Kashmir on Wednesday that the government had approached the EC earlier this month seeking permission to issue the SROs. “The permission has been conveyed to the government,” he said.
Sources said the SROs contained the details about the 6th Pay Commission and other demands of the employees based on the agreement reached between the government and the employees’ conglomerate, JCC, on February 17 this year. Copies of the SROs were handed over to the JCC leaders this evening.
However, the employees associations have cautiously reacted to the issue of the SROs. They threatened to resume the agitation in case any changes had been effected in the report of the S L Bhat Committee or the agreement reached between the cabinet sub committee and the JCC.
Setting at rest any misgivings among the employees, the chief minister, Omar Abdullah, had held out an assurance that the SROs would be issued by 15th of April. The SROs take care of various pay anomalies and other issues. The employees leaders, including the president of the Non-Gazetted Civil Secretariat Employees Union, Nazir Ahmad Mir, and the Employees Joint Action Committee leaders, Muhammad Khursheed Alam and Abdul Qayoom Wani, have welcomed the step and thanked the chief minister, Omar Abdullah, for keeping his promise.
The revised pay structure of the employees would be made effective from July 1, 2009, with notional increments from January 1, 2006. The salaries for the month of July, 2009, will be drawn as per the revised pay structure.
By Courtesy : Greater Kashmir daily English Newspaper.
