Promotion Or Demotion

Our govt is notorious for policy confusion - either during formulation or during implimentation. Here is one classic example - where state civil servants promoted to IAS are getting less salary than they were getting in state services. 

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Pay Disparity has babus seething

Gandhinagar: A group of newly promoted IAS officers, who are disgruntled that they are effectively being paid less after being inducted to Gujarat's IAS cadre, made a representation to the financial department of the state government.

Their contention is that they would have been benefited their pockets had they continued being part of state civil services (SCS).

According to an official, who talked to DNA on condition of anonymity, the officers who were promoted from SCS to Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in the year 2006 and 2007 have got a raw deal, thanks to finance department's interpretation of sixth pay commission recommendations.

Significantly, the IAS promotee officers belonging to 1999 and 1998 batch were actually inducted in the year 2006 and 2007. This meant that from the top of the pay band for the SCS officials, these officers came at the lower levels of pay scales for IAS officers.

However, after the implementation of sixth pay commission, the rise or increment for SCS officials at that level was substantial. On the other hand, the pay band for IAS, in which these officials were included, did not offer similar huge gains in the terms of arrears and consolidated pay.

According to sources, the finance department is considering the matter and is expected to take a positive decision favouring the IAS officials. An official of the department said that though the recommendations have been implemented, there were a number of issues still coming up at regular intervals that needed to be sorted out.

However sources say, the finance department is said to have asked these officials if they wanted immediate high amount in the form of arrears or better pay leading to better post retirement benefits. No wonder that some of these officials rue their own short-sightedness for the loss.

One of the officials blamed state government for leaving it open ended, rather than calculating and informing the officers as to which option was better for them. He also cited government rules indicating that they could be at loss despite being given a promotion.