Panel moots 30% pay hike for Karnataka govt staff

DHNS

February 1, 2018

Bengaluru, Feb 1: The Karnataka Sixth Pay Commission has recommended a 30% hike in basic salary for government employees, including pensioners.

The report was submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by panel chairman and retired IAS officer M R Srinivasamurthy in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Siddaramaiah said the recommendations of the commission will be placed before the next state Cabinet meeting for approval. With Assembly elections just round the corner, Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, is likely to make an official announcement accepting the recommendations of the commission in his budget speech in the state legislature on February 16.

Karnataka State Government Employees Association has welcomed the commission's recommendations. "We welcome the 30% hike. We had sought a 45% hike. We will try to convince the chief minister about our demand," association president B P Manje Gowda said.

The pay hike will come as a bonanza for 5.2 lakh state government employees, 5.73 lakh pensioners and family pensioners besides 73,000 employees working in aided institutions, local bodies and non-teaching staff of colleges and universities.

The minimum pay in the revised scales will be Rs 17,000 per month (it is Rs 9,600 at present) and maximum pay will be Rs 1,50,600 and allowances, while minimum pension will be Rs 8,500 and maximum pension will be Rs 73,000 per month besides dearness allowance. Family pension will have an upper limit of Rs 45,180 per month with dearness allowances. The commission has recommended that the wages be given with effect from April 1, 2018 for employees and from July 1, 2017 for pensioners.

The additional expenditure to the state government due to the revision of pay, allowances and pensions is estimated at Rs 10,508 crore per year.

The panel has not changed the retirement age of 60 years. However, it has recommended that minimum qualifying service for voluntary retirement be reduced from the present 15 to 10 years, while the eligibility for receiving full pension be reduced from the present 33 to 30 years.

The maximum limit of death-cum-retirement gratuity is proposed to be increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. The commission has also recommended payment of additional pensions of 20% to 100% to all pensioners aged above 80 years.

Siddaramaiah told reporters the commission was constituted eight months ago. After consulting various neighbouring states and going through the central pay commission recommendations, the state panel submitted its first report. They have sought three more months for non-salary related issues, Siddaramaiah said.

Besides Srinivasamurthy, the commission has former IAS officer Mohammed Sanaullah and former Controller of State Accounts Department R S Phonde as its members.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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