Fitment Benefit Calculation in 6th CPC

Fitment Benefit Calculation in 6th CPC

Uniform Fitment factor: The fitment recommended by the VI CPC was in the form of grade pay

Grade pay: As mentioned earlier, the grade pay was in the nature of a fitment benefit and was computed at 40 percent of the maximum of pre-revised pay scale.

This was also meant to delineate the hierarchy in any cadre. The issue raised by various groups of employees is that the methodology that was adopted in arriving at the grade pay values resulted in the difference in grade pay between adjacent levels not being uniform.

This in itself has caused resentment particularly at the lower levels. The quantum of difference between successive grade pays varies within pay bands too.

For example in Pay Band-1, the difference between successive Grade pays is Rs. 400 between GP 2000 and GP 2400 and only Rs. 100 between GP 1800 and GP 1900.

A large number of stakeholders have represented that the benefit accruing from progression either through MACP or from regular promotion was miniscule, especially in Pay Bands 1 and 2.

As per the rules on pay fixation a promotion or financial upgrade by way of MACP fetches one increment plus the difference of grade pay and a low differential in grade pay presently results in only a nominal increase in pay. Consequently, there have been numerous demands for rationalisation of the grade pay structure.

Pay bands: Employees have pointed out that while moving from one pay band to another the difference between successive pay bands is also not uniform and the variation is much more remarkable between Pay bands 3 and 4.

This has led to significant difference in benefits accruing on account of fixation of pay (and of pension) for persons in adjacent pay bands. As a result, there have been demands from some quarters for going back to the system of individual pay scales and from some other to move towards an open ended pay structure.

[Para 5.1.12 7th CPC Report]