20 Nov :In a bonanza to officers of Central Public Sector Undertakings, the government on Thursday announced a hefty 50 to 300 percent increase in pay-packages with effect from 1st January 2007.
A Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved the new scales for 1,20,000 non-unionised supervisory staff and 2,58,000 board level officers in 216 operational Central PSUs.It approved uniform fitment of 30 percent of basic pay plus dearness allowance for profit making PSUs with effect from 1st January, 2007.
For weak and non-profitable PSUs, the fitment will depend on their affordability and will range between 10 percent and 20 per cent.
The package would include revision in other allowances like house rent allowance, besides performance related incentives, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan told reporters in New Delhi.
"The revised pay scales would be implemented by issue of Presidential Directive in respect of each CPSE separately by the administrative ministry concerned," he said.
While the new pay structure would be implementable from 1st January, 2007, the new allowances would accrue to employees only after the decision is notified by individual units.
The Cabinet relied on the Committee of Secretaries recommendations to classify PSUs into four categories – A, B, C and D, instead of five categories – A+, A, B, C and D recommended by the Rao Committee in May.
The chairman of ‘A’ category PSU will now be eligible for Rs 80,000 to 1,25,000 pay scale as against Rs 18,500 to 23,900 currently.
There are 247 CPSEs, of which 216 are in operation.
In all 16,14,000 are employed in these, of which 12,36,000 are unionised workmen who negotiate their wages directly with their respective companies.
Extra outgo on account of the new pay structure would be borne by individual CPSUs and no budgetary support is involved. (ST-20/11)
Spl Accelerated road Development Programme for North-East
The cabinet has also approved a Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for North-East. Under this scheme an alternate highway will be constructed between Siliguri to Gangtok.
Union Cabinet has decided to implement 6 Handloom, Powerloom and Handicraft clusters through Private-Public Partnership model in different places across the country.
CCEA awards 44 oil and gas blocks
Government has awarded 44 out of the 45 oil and gas blocks that received bids under NELP VII.
Petroleum Secretary R S Pandey said the CCEA did not approve the award of one block in western offshore as it received a single bid which was considered too low.