Doctors Unhappy Over 7th Pay Commission
Doctors allege that their demands have not only been ignored but downgraded too. The objections are widely perceived to stem from the fact that the demands made by them have not been met genuinely.
Government doctors have raised objection as implementation of the 7th Pay Commission is on the cards. The objections are widely perceived to stem from the fact that, as government doctors claim, the demands made by them have not been met genuinely.
The prime reason being their fears that they might have to see a fall in comparative salaries instead of the expected increase. Doctors attribute the fall to rising prices in the country.
Doctors constitute a sizeable part of the 55 lakh state government and 48 lakh central government employees.
Another reason for this is reduction in non-practising allowance (NPA), which has been cut by 5 per cent; brought down from 25 per cent of basic salary in 6th Pay Commission to 20 per cent of the basic salary in 7th Pay Commission.
“We feel cheated”, says Dr Pankaj Solanki, President Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) and add FORDA is trying to create awareness of this issue among doctors by holding meetings at various hospitals.
There is another rider attached to NPA – it will no more be treated as a component of basic salary, but as separate allowance. This has irked doctors who had rallied for an increase in NPA to 40 per cent.
“The reduction in NPA would mean a number of things; mainly it would mean cancellation of allowances and merger for DA such that there would be a difference in salary to the tune of Rs 12000 – 14000 on day one”, adds Dr Solanki.
Doctors allege that their demands have not only been ignored but downgraded too. The same is true for House Rent Allowance (HRA), the percentage of which has also been reduced.