With regard to HRA, cities and towns classification has been updated with reference to 2011 census
Hyderabad: The present classification of municipal areas for the purpose of payment of City Compensatory Allowance has been retained and the quantum of allowance, however, has been increased for all the pay ranges, according to the report of Pay Revision Commission (PRC) 2020.
With regard to House Rent Allowance (HRA), the commission said the classification of cities and towns has been updated with reference to final census figures of 2011 obtained from Director of Census Operations and from latest notification of new municipal areas from Director of Municipal Administration.
The existing rates of HRA viz. 30 per cent, 20 per cent, 14.5 per cent and 12 per cent has been changed to 24 per cent, 17 per cent, 13 per cent and 11 per cent respectively for different places based on population. This has been done keeping 7th CPC recommendation in view.
The additional HRA in lieu of rent free accommodation is retained at 8 per cent of basic pay, but the monetary ceiling is increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per month.
About City Compensatory Allowance (CCA), the present classification of municipal areas for the purpose of payment of CCA is retained. The quantum of allowance is, however, increased for all the pay ranges. Referring to special pays, the Commission said the existing special pays were enhanced suitably.
Further, the Commission has recommended special pay of 15 per cent of basic pay to certain categories of Protocol Department. About Travelling Allowances (TA), the employees belonging to Grade-I and Grade-II of TA rules be permitted to travel by AC buses of TSRTC/AC buses run by private operators while on tour, irrespective of whether the place is connected by rail or not.
Similarly, the employees belonging to Grade-III may be permitted to travel by TSRTC/ buses run by private operators except by AC buses, and also between the places connected by train can claim the actual bus charges paid for.
The Mileage Allowance increased to Rs.16 per km for petrol driven four wheelers, Rs.14 per km for diesel driven four wheelers and Rs.6 per km for motor cycle/scooters. The rates of daily allowance and lodging charges enhanced by about 33 per cent to a maximum of Rs.800 per day of DA for tours to any place outside the State and to a maximum lodging charges of Rs.1300 per day at Delhi.
The conveyance charges to court masters and personal secretary to Judges of Telangana High Court increased to a maximum of Rs.5000 per month. Fixed Travelling Allowance was enhanced suitably for journeys within the mandal from Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 per month and for journeys in more than one mandal within a Revenue Division from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per month.
With respect to Leave Travel Concession (LTC), the Commission said that in place of existing scheme of LTC (anywhere in the State/ Hometown),
the LTC facility to visit any place in India once in the block period of four years, subject to maximum of 4 times in the entire service period, without any limitations regarding distance and amount is recommended.
The 1st PRC for State government employees looked at various aspects affecting the emoluments of employees and worked out an appropriate package consisting of a streamlined Master Scale, a span of scales that avoids stagnation, ensured that the quantum of increment is consistent with the increases in the quantum of pay and that there is a reasonable increase in other allowances etc.
The Commission also adequately recognised the special needs of women employees and employees who are physically challenged in recommending special leave and enhanced allowances. This time there was no request from the employees’ side either to adopt central pay scales or to look at the private sector for working out the compensation package.
All the Associations relied upon the International Labour Conference (ILC) norms to work out the ‘minimum pay’. Variations in the minimum pay demanded by various associations are on account of taking consumptions units in a family as four instead of three that is being presently followed, difference in the market price of food and clothing and addition of new items of expenditure such as mobile phone, transport, fuel, gas, electricity etc., not covered by ILC norms.
The Pay Revision Commission received as many as 501 written representations from the government employees and their organisations.
Accordingly, the commission organized 345 meetings with Secretariat Departments, Heads of the Departments (HODs) along with Service Associations, Unions and individuals apart from conducting meetings with 156 Pensioner Associations and pensioners respectively who had given representations in writing.
The meetings that commenced on August 20, 2018 and continued till the middle of March 2019, were found to be extremely useful and a number of issues got clarified. Many of these meetings were attended by Secretaries and the HoDs concerned along with liaison officers of departments concerned and office bearers of Employees’ Unions/ Associations as well as Pensioners’ Associations and individuals.
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