J&K, Ladakh: Govt workers to get wages as per 7th pay

Government employees of the new Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh -- will get salaries and other benefits as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission from October 31, the Union Home Ministry said on Tuesday.

The Home Ministry has issued the necessary orders in this regard.

Union 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, an official statement said.

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 October 31, it said.

On August 5, the central government had announced the abrogation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and its bifurcation into UTs.

After Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on August 8 where he announced that all the financial facilities being given to the employees of other Union territories as per the recommendations of 7th CPC, would soon be extended to the employees of UT of Jammu and Kashmir, and UT of Ladakh.

The annual financial implication of 7th CPC allowances like children education allowance, hostel allowance, transport allowance, LTC, fixed medical allowance, etc. in respect of 4.5 lakh government employees of the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir will be around Rs 4,800 crore.

Of the total Rs 4,800 crore, a modest Rs 607 crore will be for children education allowance, Rs 1,823 crore for hostel allowance, Rs 1,200 crore for transport allowance, Rs 1,000 crore for leave travel concession (LTC), Rs 108 crore for fixed medical Allowance and Rs 62 crore for other allowances.