BANGALORE: The nearly six lakh government employees in Karnataka can now look forward to getting a bigger pay packet, with the State's Fifth Pay Commission recommending an increase in salary ranging from Rs. 700 to Rs. 4,000 a month.

The commission, headed by retired official M.B. Prakash, submitted the second volume of its report to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy here on Tuesday.

The pay revision will place an additional burden of Rs. 1,350 crore on the exchequer. The notification revising the pay has already been issued. The benefits will be notionally effective from April 1, 2005 and the monetary benefits applicable from April 1, 2006.

The revised scale will cover all full-time employees in the Government, zilla panchayats, aided educational institutions and universities on a regular timescale of pay.

After submitting the report, Mr. Prakash told presspersons that this time the commission had raised questions regarding administrative reforms, transfer policy and transparency in administration. "Improving the quality of administration is as essential as revision of pay scales. It is desirable, therefore, that whenever the pay commission is constituted, the administrative system is reviewed," he said.

The commission has recommended passing of legislation to rectify the flaws in the transfer policy. This will help prescribe a minimum tenure in a single posting, establish responsibility and rest authority with the appropriate office to effect transfers. A penalty for those who seek out-of-turn transfer will also have a salutary effect on those seeking transfer as well as officials who approve it. To contain corruption, Mr. Prakash said the report had recommended simplification of administrative procedures, transparency and ensuring punishment to the guilty without delay.

"In the past ten years, only 1,547 cases have been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and only 105 persons have been punished."

Empower Lokayukta

The commission said that people would come forward and register more complaints if they were confident that the Government would punish the guilty. The Lokayukta should be given more powers, and a special court was needed to facilitate speedy disposal of corruption cases, it said.

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