ISRO Senior Staff Suffer Pay Cuts As Central Govt Decides To Discontinue 'Additional' Increments

The Central government decision to discontinue ‘additional’ increments, has brought disappointment to thousands of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) senior staff members, including scientists and engineers as they have suffered pay cuts.

The two additional increments given to engineers/scientists of grade SD, SE, SF and SG are discontinued effect from July 1, 2019, says an Office Memorandum (OM) dated June 12. This OM is undersigned by Deputy Secretary to Department of Space, M Ramadas.

The Memorandum says, “Consequent to implementation of 6th Central Pay Commission recommendation and introduction of Performance Related Incentive Scheme (PRIS) up to 40 per cent of basic pay for scientific and technical personnel in Department of Space (DoS), Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure has advised DoS to discontinue the incentive granted in the form of two additional increments to scientists/engineers – SD, SE, SF and SG grade personnel.”

In the pre-revised pay scale of Rs 10,000-15,200, Rs 12,000-16,500, Rs 14,300 18,300 and Rs 16,400-20,000, approved the grant of two additional increments for SD to SG grade personnel in Department of Space was approved by the Centre in 1996.

“However, in the light of the advice of the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, it has been decided to discontinue the payment of incentive granted with effect from July 1, 2019,” the memorandum reads.

According to the New Indian Express K Santhosh Kumar, general secretary of Space Engineers Association (SEA), he refused to comment, saying that it was an internal matter.

The SEA, however, submitted a representation to ISRO Chairman K Sivan, asking him to intervene and persuade Central government to call off the decision.

“The PRIS offered to the engineers, and the additional increments are entirely different. One is an incentive, and other is pay and hence they can not supplement each other,” the association president A Manimaran said in the letter.

A senior scientist said that on an average, the employees have suffered a pay cut of Rs 10,000 per month, by virtue of the memorandum.

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