Central Govt Employees To No Longer Get Family Planning Allowance?:- In a recent development, the Central Government employees will no longer be eligible for a family planning allowance and the Cabinet Secretary for his monthly entertainment allocation.
Also, they will no be entitled to diet, hair cutting and ‘soap toilet’ allowances given to select categories of employees. An official said, a heap of grants and allocations made to various sections of government employees have been done away with or revised, with the government accepting many of the recommendations of the Committee on Allowances (CoA), headed by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa.
Moreover, funeral and cycles allowances have been retained and revised. On June 28, the decision on revising the allowances was approved at a meeting of the Union cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On July 6, the formal orders were issued. The CoA referred to the seventh Central Pay Commission’s report, which had examined 196 allowances given to different categories of central government employees.
On April 27, a report was submitted by the CoA, after which the government decided to accept its recommendations with 34 modifications.
An official giving further details said, an entertainment allowance of Rs 10,000 per month granted to the cabinet secretary, the country’s top bureaucrat, to entertain distinguished visitors has been removed.
The “secret” allowance, for Officers working in the Cabinet Secretariat, has also been removed. This allowance is granted for dealing with top secret papers and performing sensitive duties. Based on the post held by the official concerned, it is paid as a flat sum per month.
An official, said as an encouragement to adhere to the small family norm at the rate of Rs 210 to Rs 1,000 per month depending on seniority, the family planning allowance is given to central government employees.
The panel in its report said a separate allowance aimed at population control was not required now and recommended it be removed.
However, the government has retained the ‘cycle’ and ‘funeral’ allowances. But, the Pay Commission recommended it to be abolished. When duties committed to the post require extensive use of bicycles, a cycle allowance of Rs 90 is paid, for those officials who have to use and maintain their own cycles for official journeys.
The panel did not receive any demands regarding the cycle allowance. The pay commission felt this allowance was outdated and should be abolished. However, the allowance was not only retained by the government, but for the Department of Posts and Railways, doubled the amount to rs 180.
On the death of an employee in peace areas; mortuary charges are reimbursed to defence personnel, a funeral allowance of Rs 6,000 is granted. To extend the allowance to all civilian employees and for a four-fold increase in rates, the demands were received by the pay commission.
With the pay raises provided by successive pay commissions, this kind of an allowance had lost its meaning, viewed the panel. The government revised this allowance to Rs 9,000.
To deputationists in the Bureau of Immigration as compensation for food, the diet allowance of Rs 200 a month is given. The panel decided to remove it, as no demands were received regarding this allowance.
To personnel below officer rank of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the hair cutting allowance of Rs 5 a month is granted. Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ combat personnel of Assam Rifles at the rate of Rs 90 per month, can also avail this allowance.
Moreover, the investigation allowance given in Serious Fraud Investigation Office, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, to attract talent pool from other ministries has also been removed.
SUPRAJA
