Govt nod to 7th pay panel hike for university teachers

The state cabinet on Tuesday passed the proposal to implement the seventh pay commission recommendations for university teachers.

Calling it a gift on the eve of ‘Teachers’ Day’ for the teachers, government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said that the pay revision would be implemented in retrospect from January 1, 2016.

“There are 18 universities in UP under the department of higher education, out of which 15 are state universities. Not only will these benefit from the decision but we have also given an in-principle approval for inclusion of agriculture and veterinary colleges as well. Rs 921.54 crore has been sanctioned for this. In the first year, the state and centre will divide the expenditure equally after which the onus will lie entirely with the state government,” said Singh.Under the rules, all beneficiaries will have to give an undertaking allowing for any additional payment made to them to be adjusted in the revised pay.

The new salary will be decided as per an order issued by the department of higher education on November 2, 2017 and amended on November 8, 2017. Principals of graduate and post graduate universities will be entitled to salary under the seventh pay commission but they will not be eligible for any special allowances. The cabinet also cleared a proposal to appoint State Agency for Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services to run Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission in the state.

“Instead of insurance mode, the mission will now be run on an ‘assurance mode’. A trust will be made under this which will do away the need to have insurance agents,” Singh said.

UP has 1.18 crore beneficiary families, each of whom will be entitled to free treatment worth Rs 5 lakh each year for secondary, tertiary and serious illnesses.

The government has also decided to allocate property, worth 10% more or less than the existing property of temple caretakers who will be displaced under the KVT Corridor project during beautification of the route from Ganga to Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. There are 24 such properties for which the cabinet approved Rs 14.55 crore.