Former MLC urges state to heed 7th pay commission advices

Mysuru, NT Bureau: Former MLC KT Srikante Gowda on Monday urged the state government to initiate measures to implement recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission as “salaries of state government employees are very low”.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said that the salaries of state government employees are less by as much as 40 per cent compared to employees of the union government.

“The government must stop discriminating between state and central government employees over their salaries,” he said.

The previous BJP government announced a 17 per cent hike in salaries as interim relief, while the employees had demanded a 40 per cent increment. The panel headed by former chief secretary K Sudhakar Rao submitted its final report last year, recommending a 27.5 per cent hike.

This means the minimum salary of a government will increase to 27,000 from the present Rs 17,000. Even the CM Siddaramaiah had in principle, agreed to implement the 7th Pay Commission. He asked the CM to keep his promises of implementing the 7th Pay Commission recommendations.

Though the wages of state government employees were revised six years ago, the state failed to implement the recommendations. He said the Opposition will launch an “aggressive” agitation against the state government if it fails to honour its promise.

The former MLC also expressed his displeasure for denying a ticket to him to contest in the recently held MLC polls from the South Teachers constituency. He said that he represented the constituency for the fourth time with the blessing of the teaching community.

Though his supporters and well-wishers pushed for his candidature in the elections, he “bowed to the decision of the high command and supported his party candidate. Sitting MLC Vivekananda must fulfil the demands of the teachers’ community, he added.