West Bengal’s Seventh Pay Commission has extended the deadline for submitting views on pay, allowances and retirement benefits to November 30 after several organisations and institutions were added to, and some removed from, its scope. The commission said applications would be accepted only through its official website.
The earlier deadline had been set for October 31 following a September 2 notice inviting submissions. The extension was announced in a fresh notice issued on Friday, after the state Finance Department issued two resolutions on November 5 covering additional institutions and employee groups.
The commission’s website, 7spc.wb.gov.in, will remain open until the end of November 30 for serving and retired employees of the newly included organisations, as well as employee associations. The commission has clarified that only submissions made through the designated online module will be considered. Printed copies, PDF documents and proposals sent by email will not be accepted.
Under the first Finance Department resolution issued on November 5, the commission was given responsibility for reviewing the pay structures and service conditions of regular non-teaching employees of state-aided universities and employees of three education boards. A second resolution brought 14 development boards and several other organisations within the commission’s scope.
At the same time, the West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education, the West Bengal State Council of Technical Education and the West Bengal State Council of Vocational Education were excluded from the commission’s remit, according to the report. The changes altered the list of institutions whose employees could submit representations on pay and service conditions.
The repeated changes and extensions have drawn criticism from sections of the state employee community. Biswajit Gupta Chowdhury of the CPM-backed Government Employees’ Coordination Committee said the commission’s notification had initially left out organisations that should have been included. He described the latest extension as part of a process that could prolong the commission’s work.
Swapan Mondal, general secretary of the Bangeeya Sikshak O Sikshakarmi Samiti, also criticised the commission, saying that repeated notices were needed to clarify which departments and bodies came under its authority. He questioned whether the commission would be able to complete its work within a definite timeframe.
Debashish Seal, president of the State Government Employees’ Parishad, defended the extension. He said additional time would help organisations that wanted to submit documents and would allow departments to compile information on the number of employees and teachers. He also said the commission’s recommendations would eventually be issued and implemented by the government.
The latest notice means that eligible employees and organisations have until November 30 to file their representations online. The commission has not announced any other submission channel or a further stage in its timetable in the material available.
