The panel, which was asked to examine the 7th Pay Commission recommendation for abolition of 53 allowances out of a total of 196 and subsuming another 36 into larger existing ones, at its meeting today sought comments from the ministries of defence, railways and posts on treatment of 14 allowances. These allowances include accidental allowance, outstation detention allowance, trip allowance, and ghat allowance. The Lavasa Committee was constituted in June last year after the government implemented the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission. The Pay Commission had recommended abolition of or subsuming of allowances like acting, assisting cashier, cycle, condiment, flying squad, haircutting, rajbhasha, rajdhani, robe, shoe, shorthand, soap, spectacle, uniform, vigilance and washing. People familiar with the matter said the committee in its next meeting will also finalise its views on the pay commission recommendation of reducing the house rent allowance (HRA) to 24% of basic pay as against the 30% of basic pay employees were drawing under the Sixth Pay Commission.

Source: Mint March 28, 2017 17:26 UTC