7th pay commission: BJP vows to implement report in Meghalaya

Promising to implement 7th Pay Commission recommendations for government employees, regularise contractual employees and provide job to every youth, the BJP released its "Vision Document" for the February 27 Meghalaya Assembly elections in Shillong on Thursday.

Releasing the document, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "This document underlines what we are talking about... It is time for change in Meghalaya. This simple message tells you a lot. We are not here because it`s election season but we are people who believe that change and positive change require a lot of concerted efforts."

Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary in-charge of Meghalaya, Nalin Kohli, Meghalaya BJP chief Shibun Lyngdoh and former Congress minister Alexander Hek, who joined the party earlier this year, were also present at the release of Vision Document.

Underscoring the "need for change" in this Congress-ruled state, Sitharaman said: "Why is that we want change? Change can be brought by any party or government ... if you have the advantage that a certain party (Congress) had for consistently being in power for the last 10 years... With also the same party in power at the Centre, won`t you expect a state like Meghalaya to get its due?"

Wooing young voters, the vision document promises to provide employment to two lakh youth in the tourism industry, create more employment for the educated youth in public and private sectors and providing opportunities for self-employment to the youth.

Also Read-- 7th Pay commission: Govt move to help lower-level staff

The Modi government is reportedly working on a strategy to help lower-level employees of pay matrix level 1 to 5 under 7th Pay Commission.

The development was confirmed by a Finance Minister official who was reportedly quoted as saying that the government was committed to increasing the minimum wage of central government employees and is likely to turn lives of 48 lakh government employees into better positions.

The official said, “government is looking to hike the minimum wage with fitment formula 3.00 times of basic pay of 6th pay commission.”

Government employees are pushing for ‘minimum pay’ of Rs 26,000 per month with a fitment formula of 3.68 times. According to the official, the announcement of raising salaries of lower-level employees beyond the recommendation of 7th Pay Commission, came just a few days after the cabinet gave a nod of pay panel proposal.