Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet on Monday approved implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations, effecting a 27.5% increase in basic pay from August 1, 2024, and benefiting 12 lakh state govt employees and pensioners.
The commission, led by former chief secretary K Sudhakar Rao, was constituted in November 2022 with a six month mandate.
The final report was submitted to chief minister Siddaramaiah before Lok Sabha elections were announced in March 2024.
The commission’s recommendations include raising the minimum salary for govt employees from Rs 17,000 to Rs 27,000 a month.
The implementation is expected to widen the revenue expenditure of the Karnataka govt by Rs 20,000 crore annually. The most considerable expenditure will be the burden of Rs 7,409 crore for salaries, followed by Rs 3,791 crore for pensions and family pensions each year.
The decision comes after the previous BJP govt, just before the 2023 assembly elections, granted interim relief with a 17% salary hike for govt employees, leaving the remaining 10.5% for future discussions.
After Congress govt took office, it faced pressure to fulfil five poll guarantees and delayed the decision.
The employees, during an executive committee meeting held recently in Chikkamagaluru, decided to launch a three-phase protest culminating in an indefinite strike planned from July 29. This appears to have pressured the govt.
"We welcome the decision for providing employees with 27.5% salary hike," said Shadakshari, state president of Karnataka state govt employees' association.
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