8th Central Pay Commission, Releasing of 18 months DA/DR Arrear, Restoration of Festival Advance, Additional Pension/Fixed Medical Advance Enhancement, Commuted Pension Restoration, IT Rebate etc: NC JCM demands to include in Union Budget 2025.
Shiva Gopal Mishra
Secretary
Ph.: 23382286
National Council (Staff Side)
Joint Consultative Machinery
13-C, Ferozshah Road, New Delhi – 110001
E-Mail : nc.jcm.np[at]gmail.com
No.NC/JCM/2025
Dated: January 10, 2025
Hon’ble Minister for Finance,
Ministry of Finance
(Government of India)
North Block,
New Delhi.
Respected Madam,
The staff Side of the National Council (JCM), representing the Central Government employees’ in the country submits the undernoted significant issues/demands of the Central Government for your for kind consideration and including same in the Union Budget 2025-2026.
1. Constitution of the 8th Central Pay Commission for Central Government Employees and Pensioners.
The Wage/Pension revision of the Central Government Employees/Pensioners including Armed Forces and Para Military Forces takes place once in 10 years and the next wage / Pension revision is due on 01.01.2026. As you are aware that any Pay Commission will take minimum 2 years for conducting its study /interaction etc. to submit its final report to the Government and the Government also will take minimum 6 months for taking decision on its implementation. Government itself says that the inflation is in the range of 4% to 7% and on an average it shall be about 9.9%. If we compare the retail prices of essential commodities and goods which are required for daily life from 2016 to 2023 they have increased by over more than 90% as per the local retail market. But we are provided only with 53% DA as on 01.07.2024. The Central Government Revenue has also doubled from the year 2015 to 2023 for which the Central Government Employees contribution is enormous. Moreover, due to acute shortage of manpower in all the Central Government Establishments each employee is forced to do the work of more than 2 employees. Due to the escalating price rise and increasing medical and housing expenditure etc. the Pensioners are also in deep trouble. It is also a fact that a major portion of the wages of the employees/Pension goes back to the Government in the name of Income Tax and GST etc. Therefore, the Hon’ble Finance Minister may kindly announce the setting up of 8th Central Pay Commission for the Central Government Employees and the Pensioners.
2. Releasing of 18 months arrears of Dearness Allowance/Release which was frozen during the COVID-19 Pandemic period.
We have been demanding to the Government that in accordance with the judgments of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and also considering the fact that the economic conditions of the country is in a satisfactory level, the 18 months DA / DR arrears due to the Central Government Employees and Pensioners which was frozen during the COVID-19 pandemic period may please be paid back to the employees and Pensioners.
3. Restoration of Festival Advance for the Central Government Employees.
In one of the meetings of the National Council (JCM) the Official Side agreed to restore Festival Advance to the Central Government Employees. Even after more than 2 years no Government orders have been issued in this regard. Since, the Festival Advance is only an interest free loan to be recovered in 10 installments, it is requested that as demanded by the Staff Side in the National Council (JCM) Rs.30,000/- per year may be sanctioned as Festival Advance.
4. Implementation of the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Petitions with regard to CGHS facilities to the Central Government Employees and Pensioners.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Petitions with regard to CGHS facilities to the Central Government Employees and Pensioners in its 162nd report on the petition “praying for comprehensive medical facilities to Central Government Employees, Pensioners and their dependents” to the Rajya Sabha on 10th of August, 2023 have given various recommendations for improvement of the CGHS functioning. Such as to ensure that once a referral is issued, patient should not be required to visit CGHS Doctor again for undergoing the prescribed treatment procedure / investigations, to settle the complaints on the empanelled hospitals charging excess amount from the beneficiaries, revision of the CGHS rates, establishing additional Wellness Centers, to address the issue of shortage of Doctors, to improve the attitude of Doctors and allied Staff towards the patients, to ensure availability of all types of Medicines, to improve the infrastructure of the Wellness Centers, to construct Buildings for housing the Wellness Centers, relaxation of norms with regard to setting up of new Wellness Centers and consider exploring setting up of new Wellness Centers at a rapid place in newer Towns, retired employees as well as their dependents can avail the benefits of CGHS without much hassle, setting up of more AYUSH WCs in newer cities and also undertake initiatives to popularize Indian system of medicines among the beneficiaries of CGHS etc. The Committee also recommended that a pan-India Committee comprising doctors, beneficiaries and Members of Parliament should be constituted at the top level to do brainstorming on practical things and be mandated to submit a report on the overall aspects of the CGHS following a review of the whole situation. We request to kindly implement all these recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee.
5. Implementation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee recommendations on Pensioners grievances.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice submitted its report on “Pensioners Grievances” on 10th of December, 2021. The Parliamentary Standing Committee in its report has recommended to implement the recommendations of the 7th CPC regarding Insurance amount and monthly contributions towards the Central Government Employees Group Insurance Scheme, the Committee recommended to provide additional Pension of 5% on attaining 65 years of age, 10% on reaching 70 years of age, 15% on reaching /5 years, enhancing Fixed Medical Allowance to Pensioners to Rs. 3,000/- per month, opening CGHS Centers at District locations or designating functional Government Hospitals in District Headquarters as CGHS Centers etc. None of these recommendations are implemented by the Government. We request that the Government of India may kindly implement all the above recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee.
6. Restoration of Commuted Pension after 12 years.
The Staff Side of the National Council (JCM) has been demanding for restoration of the Commuted Pension after 12 years instead of the present 15 years, since the Government recovers the entire commuted Pension within 11 years with interest. Many of the State Governments are restoring the commuted portion of the Pension after 12 years. There is no justification for recovering the 40% commuted Pension from the Pensioners for 15 years. Therefore, it is requested that the Government may kindly restore the commuted Pension after 12 years from the date of commutation.
7. Strengthening and effective function of the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) Scheme for the Central Government Employees.
The JCM Scheme was introduced by the Government of India during the year 1964 with the object of promoting harmonious relations and of securing the greatest measure of cooperation between the Government in its capacity as employer, and the general body of the employees in matters of common concern, and with the object further, of increasing the efficiency of the public service. It is now 60 years after the scheme is introduced. While for the first 4 decades the scheme was functioning effectively with regular meetings and sorting out the problems through joint consultations and compulsory arbitrations, it is most unfortunate that during the past 2 decades the JCM Scheme is diluted and side lined in such a manner that meetings takes place very rarely, issues are pending years together without any solution resulting in arbitrary decisions by the Official Side in all the Ministries on Cadre Review/Corporatization/ Restructuring/Closure/Framing of RR/Abolition of posts etc. This has resulted in demoralization of the Central Government Employees which will have serious impact on their performance and productivity. We therefore, request the Hon’ble Finance Minister to kindly take a decision and announce in the Budget about the effective functioning of the JCM Scheme and to conduct meetings and take decisions in accordance with the constitution of the JCM Scheme.
8. Income Tax rebate for the salaried employees.
Considering the inflation and also the escalating cost of living, health care, education etc. there should not be any Income Tax on salaried income upto Rs. 10 lakh in a year. Tax deduction should be there only for the income which is over and above Rs.10 Lakh per year which means upto Rs.10 lakh income it should be tax free.
We sincerely hope that that your goodself will consider favourably the above-mentioned issues/ demands of the Central Government and proposals and the same will be included in the Union Budget 2025-26.
With Kind Regards,
Sd/-
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
Secretary(Staff Side
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