Thursday, July 20 2006 18:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Government today (July 20,2006) gave its approval for setting up the Sixth Pay Commission for central government employees.

Term of the commission would be for 18 months, the Cabinet decided at its meeting.

"The commission will comprise one chairman of the rank of Minister of State, one part time member and one Member-Secretary of the rank of Secretary or Additional Secretary in the central government," Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said after the cabinet meeting.

The Chairman and other members of the commission would be appointed by the Prime Minister, he said.

The commission will also examine desirability, need and quantum to sanction interim relief if any.

The last central pay commission was set up in 1994 and its report came in January 1997. The financial implications of the fifth pay commission was Rs 17,000 crore.

Dasmunsi said state governments were also consulted before taking a decision on the pay commission.

Views of states were sought because once a decision was taken on pay commission for central government employees, the state governments were expected to face similar demands from their own employees.

"Out of as many as 16 states that sent their comments some like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh were against it. Some states wanted the Centre to share the burden of the pay commission with the states," he said.

Both Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are ruled by Bharatiya Janata Party.

Karnataka, Assam, Tripura, Orissa, Manipur and Nagaland are the states which demanded that Centre should share the burden of increased salaries of government employees.