THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid a persisting financial crunch in Kerala, the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) has written a letter demanding a salary hike. The letter recommends increasing the salary of the PSC Chairman and Members.
Following the letter, the Kerala state government is planning to raise the monthly salary of the chairman from Rs 2.26 lakh to Rs 4 lakh and that of the members from Rs 2.23 lakh to Rs 3.75 lakh. The file is currently under consideration by the Finance Department.
It has also been reported that the Chairman’s pension may increase from Rs 1.25 lakh to Rs 2.50 lakh, and that of the members from Rs. 1.20 lakh to Rs. 2.25 lakh. Notably, Kerala has 21 PSC members, whereas other states typically have only seven or eight members, and the UPSC has also only 9 members.
The Kerala PSC is demanding a four-fold increase in the basic salary. Currently, the basic salary of the chairman is Rs 76,000, and that of the members is Rs 70,000. The figures of Rs 2.26 lakhs for the Chairman and Rs 2.23 lakhs for the members include allowances.
This decision comes in the situation, when even the funds for the mid-day meal schemes of school students have been allocated to school headmasters, placing the financial responsibility on them. There also several allegations that the government has not taken any actions to provide salaries for other employees, including those of the KSRTC. The government is also reluctant to allocate funds for paddy farmers and social security pensioners.
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