New Delhi, Feb 21: The government had approved the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission or 7th CPC hiking minimum pay and fitment factor for the central government employees on June 29, 2016. Since then, the central government employees have been demanding to raise minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Here’s a good news for central government employees who have been waiting for higher minimum pay. (UPDATE: Will There be Good News About Hike in Minimum Pay, Fitment Factor Beyond CPC Recommendations in April?) Also Read - No, Working Hours For Central Government Staff Have Not Been Stretched to 7 PM | Here's The Truth

The Finance Ministry has reportedly formed a panel to take the final call on a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha may head the panel, which is likely to submit its report in six months. Also Read - 7th Pay Commission Latest News: Tamil Nadu Freezes DA Till July 2021, Suspends Earned Leave Of Its Employees For One Year

The panel may have secretaries from ministries of Home Affairs and Defence, department of personnel and training, pension, revenue, expenditure, posts, health, science and technology Chairman of Railway Board and Deputy CAG as its members. Also Read - 7th Pay Commission Latest News: Maharashtra Govt to Put on Hold DA, LTC of 12 Lakh Employees For Two Years

The development assumes significance as the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, a day after the Cabinet cleared the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, promised central government employees to appoint a high-level committee to look into the issue of hike in minimum pay and fitment factor.

The development comes amid reports that the government is likely to give its nod to hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission in April this year. The government may raise minimum pay to Rs 21,000 from Rs 18,000 and fitment factor to 3.00 times from 2.57 times that were recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.

The 7th Pay Commission had recommended a 14.27 percent hike in basic pay, raising minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 month with fitment factor 2.57 times. However, the central government employees have been asking to raise minimum pay to Rs 26,000 and fitment factor 3.68 times.