Recently the state government decided to implement the recommendations of the 7th pay commission in the state which will benefit nearly 8 lakh employees and pension holders of the state. It is definitely a good step to enhance the income of employees as it will deliver more purchasing power to them and subsequently trigger an upsurge in demand which in return will tick up production. However, the growth in purchasing power should not be asymmetric and there should be no discrimination against workers of other categories. Programs of the government are implemented through a vast network of workers like Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, Krushak sathis, Gramrakshis and many others in the revenue department. Besides, there are employees in PSUs as well as local self-government bodies who work for the public and whose concerns must be taken into account. Teachers are agitating demanding fair remuneration for their work and the government is yet to take up a concrete stand over their demand. Besides, the government has also to take into account the possible inflationary pressure likely to be triggered by the pay hike of the government servants.
The government should adopt a uniform approach towards compensating employees who work for the people. Besides, it has also to ensure reasonable wages to all categories of workers through policy and regulatory interventions. Rise in income across all strata of the working population can ensure distributive justice for the people.
