MACP Scheme : Pay of seniors getting lesser salary than juniors to be hiked

Removing certain anomalies in its career progression scheme, the Central government has ordered stepping up of pay of employees in cases where a senior is getting lower emoluments than his junior.

The disparities had arisen between employees who came under the scheme before 2006 and those who got benefits between 2006 and 2008 consequent to the implementation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (SPC).

Orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training earlier this month state, “It has been decided to allow stepping up of pay in such cases where the senior, but for the pay revision on account of the SPC, would have continued to draw higher pay”.

A large number of Central government employees will be financially benefited by this order. The employees affected had taken up the matter with the government and the anomalies committee, following which the issue was examined by the Department of Expenditure.

The government’s Assured Career Progression Scheme (ACPS), which granted two financial upgrades on completion of 12 and 24 years of regular service to employees who did not get promotion in the existing grade, was applicable up till August 2008.

It was replaced in September 2008 by the Modified Career Progression Scheme. As the revised pay scales under SPC were applicable  with  effect  from  January  2006,  those employees who received benefits under ACPS between 2006 to 2008 got financial upgrade in the revised scales. Consequently, senior employees who got benefit under ACPS prior to 1996 began drawing lesser pay than their juniors.

The new order stipulates that for pay to be stepped up under the scheme, the junior and senior employee should belong to the same cadre and the posts in which they have been promoted or upgraded should  be identical. Further, the  senior employee should have been drawing equal or more pay than the junior before receiving ACPS benefits.

Source : www.tribuneindia.com

[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121029/nation.htm#13]