Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has announced merger of previous adhoc relief in the basic salary and topped it up with a 10% adhoc relief for 2017-18 for the public servants

“In the budget FY 2016-17, three allowances were merged. However, the 2008 adhoc relief allowance to the Army and the 2010 adhoc relief allowance for the civilians was not merged. There has been a consistent demand to merge these allowance. I am pleased to announce that it has been decided and give a 10% adhoc relief allowance on the merged salary to all civil and armed forces employees”, Finance Minister Ishaq dar said in his budget speech on Friday.

Dar also announced a 10% increase in the pensions, besides increasing the minimum wages to Rs 15,000.

Dar announced a Special Zarb-e-Azb allowance of 10% of salaries for all officers and jawans of Pakistan Army. He said this allowance would be in addition to other increase in the salary and allowances.

He announced exemption of employees up to BPS-5 from the house rent deduction, while an increase of up to 60% in daily allowance rate. Peon allowance was raised from Rs 12000 to Rs 14000; payment for burial etc raised from Rs 1600 to Rs 4800 and from Rs 5000 to Rs 15000.

He said that the allowances for Pakistan Post employees were also being increased, besides a 50% increase in design allowance.

The constant attendant allowance has been increased from Rs 3000 to Rs 7000, besides increase in different allowances for Pakistan Navy, including the batman allowance, pay hardlying.

A fixed allowance of Rs 8000 per month has been announced for Frontier Constabulary and would be paid in three installments. The first being given on March 1, 2017, while second on July 1, 2017 and third on July 1, 2018.