LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, which is likely to benefit more than 21 lakh state government employees, teachers and pensioners, an official said.
At a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav here, it was decided that in the forthcoming winter session of the state assembly from December 21, a bill will be brought on "Vote on Account", the official told IANS.
This was being done to take care of the state's expenses in the first four months of the coming year.
According to a government spokesperson, a committee was set up under the chairmanship of retired IAS officer G.B. Patnaik to study the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations and a report was subsequently submitted to Yadav last week.
The committee recommended the state government employees be given a salary structure at par with the central government employees.
It said the salary would be increased 2.57 times, including salary band and grade pay, and implemented from January 1 next year.
The starting minimum salary (fourth class employees) is recommended at Rs 18,000 while the maximum for Chief Secretary is recommended at Rs 2.25 lakh.
The decision would lead to phase wise distribution of arrears in instalments, the official said.
The move is being seen by many here as an attempt to offer sops to the government employees ahead of the crucial state assembly polls in 2017.