The committee will submit the report within two months and that issue will be resolved.
The decision came hours after Karnataka government employees went on an indefinite strike.
Swiftly, the Karnataka State Government Employees Association (KSGEA) decided to call off its indefinite strike on Wednesday after the Karnataka government announced an interim hike in basic pay of up to 17 per cent. The state government has also constituted a committee to look into the demands for bringing back the old pension scheme. The interim relief will be applicable from April 1.
State Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai held a meeting with the members of the association on Tuesday night and held further discussions with officials of the Finance Department and the KSGEA on Wednesday morning. The state government has issued an order announcing a 17 percent increase in the salaries of government employees.
Speaking to the media, CM Basavaraj Bommai said, “We will provide 17 per cent hike to all government employees in the state and orders have already been issued in this regard. The 7th Pay Commission has already been appointed and I have already discussed it with the employees’ unions.”
He also said that he will constitute a special committee under an Additional Chief Secretary, and it will submit a detailed study on the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and how other state governments are implementing it. The committee will submit the report within two months and that issue will be resolved. Bommai also requested the government employees to end the protest and resume their duties.
The interim relief will cost the government an additional Rs 12,000 crore. After discussion with Additional Chief Secretary ISN Prasad and other IAS officers including PC Jaffer and Ekroop Kaur, an agreement was reached with the workers who were protesting.
However, according to The Indian Express, KSGEA president P Guruswamy expressed dissatisfaction and said that he was not happy with the association’s decision to call off the strike. “We wanted the government to implement OPS, but they did not. Our primary aim was to get it from the government,” he said.
The decision came hours after Karnataka government employees went on an indefinite strike, abstaining from work in schools, colleges, hospitals and other government institutions.
Government employees made three major demands for implementation, including 7th Pay Commission in Karnataka, Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and at least 40 per cent fitment facilities.
On Wednesday, CS Sadakshari, president of the association, along with government employees, protested at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) premises in Bengaluru, holding placards.
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