7th Pay Commission: Challenging year for Central Government Employees The central government employees passed a challenging year for a number of factors including hike in pay, minimum pay hike, raising of fitment factor, pay anomalies and non-payment of arrears on allowances, employees unions said. The delayed implementation of allowances have saved the government nearly Rs 40,000 crore. The non-payment of arrears on allowances caused tremendous irritation and frustration among the central government employees, said a unions leader. The government gave higher basic pay in August 2016 with arrears, effective from January 1, 2016 to its employees on the recommendations of the 7th pay commission but the allowances notified on June 6 without arrears, which came into effect from July 1, 2017. The recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission got the Cabinet nod on June 29, 2016 in respect of basic pay, the pay panel had recommended a 14.27 per cent hike in basic pay. The previous 6th Pay Commis...