Staff Reporter / New Delhi
“The BJP has not put anything for Government employees in their manifesto and this clearly indicates their apathy towards the government employees both while in government since last 5 years and now as a political party while presenting their manifesto” says Ajay Makan who is Congress congress candidate from New Delhi
he saiod that the much awaited 7th Pay Commission which came in 2016 was a damp squib and didn’t do anything for the government employees , rather it took away whatever good the 6th Pay Commission report which came during the Congress regime had given to the Government employees.
Addressing media Maken said that the 7th Pay Commission report says that there is not going to be any further Pay Commissions for the government employees which means the 7th Pay Commission is the last Pay Commission for them and this is why the government employees feel cheated by the BJP.
7th Pay Commission under the BJP gave a rise of just 14.29%against 40% of the 6th Pay Commission under the Congress regime.
There are many such issues of government employees both concerning 7th Pay Commission and otherwise, which should have been voiced and taken up in the Parliament and with the Government . Unfortunately all the 7 MPs of Delhi belonging to the BJP never cared to take up any of the government employees issues and there was no voice of the government employees in the Government or Parliament.
Addressing the press along with the members of the Delhi Chapter of the All India Professional Congress, Mr Maken reminded the media that it was he who met the then PM Dr Manmohan Singh to demand the appointment of the 7th Pay Commission & the demand was acceded to by the PM. The Central government employees did not even have to protest for their demand of instituting the 7th Pay commission.
Mr Ajay Maken said that the Delhi chapter of AIPC would campaign among the government employees & remind them how Congress has continuously worked hard for the welfare of government employees. From the time that the first Pay commission was appointed in 1953 to the constitution of the 7th Pay commission in which he played an important role it is the congress party who has looked after the welfare of government employees.
The callous attitude of NDA governments towards government employees is borne out by the fact that though the 5th Pay Commission had recommended the constitution of the 6th Pay Commission by 1st January 2003, the NDA government refused to do so. The 5th Pay commission had expressly recommended that when Dearness Allowance (DA) would become more than 50% of the Basic Pay, then the DA should be merged with the Basic Pay. On 1st July 2002 the DA became 52% of the Basic Pay but the same was merged only on 1st April 2004. This callous attitude towards government employees led to them bearing financial losses for 2 years.
Reiterating the charge that NDA governments policies are opposed to the welfare of government employees, Mr Ajay Maken said that on 1.1.2004 the pension scheme for employees was terminated. NDA governments have without fail reduced the interest rate for General Provident Fund (GPF) thus adversely affecting the financial standing of government employees. The casual leave (CL) has been reduced from 12 to 8. Direct Recruitment by NDA led Central Government were reduced by 1/3rd .Employment on compassionate grounds has been reduced drastically.
Mr Ajay Maken stated that 7 MPs from BJP did not care about the welfare of government employees & never raised the issue of government employees in the Parliament or outside through protests. The government employees were waiting to teach Delhi BJP MPs a lesson & vote them out.
He said in contrast Congress leaders were active in raising the issue of government employees both inside & outside the Parliament. He further stated that Congress has a proven track record of taking care of the welfare of government employees.
He further stated that when Congress came to power they would regularise contractual government employees. The NDA government has done away with the concept of Pay Commissions ignoring the welfare of government employees. Mr. Ajay Maken promised to correct the anomalies in the 7th Pay Commission. He further said that he would reduce the disparity between salaries of government employees.
