7th Pay Commission: Will government raise minimum pay? The pay rise, the finance ministry says, should take place in January, and would mean a pay rise for 4.8 million central government employees and 5.5 million pensioners. If the government decides to implement the rise, which it may do after the completion of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assemblies poll process, it would be the second successive pay hike, and would bring the real value of the minimum pay back in line. A top Finance Ministry official, who did not wish to be named, indicated the government will be taking the proposal seriously, but cannot implement the pay rise now, it will be decided after the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assemblies elections. This would represent minimum pay rise of Rs 21,000 for central government employees. If this recommendation were accepted, the value of the minimum pay would be higher than the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission of Rs 18,000 and the government is now making good progress...