Amit Shah Announces Seventh Pay Commission Allowances Worth Rs 4,800 Cr For J&K Govt Employees

On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved Rs 4,800 crore worth allowances as per seventh Pay Commission to government employees of Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh that will come into existence on October 31. The move is likely to benefit 4.5 lakh government employees.

The Union Home Ministry has issued the necessary orders in this regard. Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the proposal of payment of all 7th CPC allowances to the government employees of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh, which shall come into existence from October 31. The central government had on August 5 announced the abrogation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and its bifurcation into two UTs.

"Union Home Ministry has issued orders in this regard. The move will benefit 4.5 lakh government employees who are working in the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir and will become the employees of UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh from 31st October, 2019 (sic.)," said a government note. The annual financial implication of it shall be tentatively Rs 4,800 crore and will be in the form of Children Education Allowance, Hostel Allowance, Transport Allowance, LTC, Fixed Medical Allowance and others for the 4.5 lakh employees.

While Children Education Allowance is pegged to be at Rs 607 crore; Hostel Allowance is slated to be Rs 1,823 crore; Transport Allowance, Leave Travel Concession (LTC) and Fixed Medical Allowance will incur Rs 1,200 crore, Rs 1,000 crore and Rs 108 crore respectively. While Rs 62 crore has been kept for other allowances.

Earlier, Modi-led government had also approved Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) or Leave Travel Concessions (LTC) for its employees for travelling. Central Government employees can take advantage of LTC while travelling to various part of the country including, Jammu and Kashmir, Northeast States and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, or their home town. After which government employees can submit their expenses bill and can reimburse it. Also, the government has recently made it clear in one of its orders that army officers can change their home town only once. But it will be changed in an extraordinary situation only.