Thiruvananthapuram: The All-India Service (AIS) officials' associations have demanded the Kerala government to reconsider the Cabinet decision fixing Rs 81,800 as the basic pay of the officials of the Kerala Administrative Service (KAS), recently formed as a feeder service for the Indian Administrative Service. The IPS Officers' Association and the Kerala chapter of IAS and IFS officials' associations raised the demand in separate letters to the state government.
Dr B Ashok and MG Rajamanickam, president and secretary, respectively, of the State IAS Association, urged the government to withdraw the cabinet decision even before an order was issued implementing it. Pointing out that the decided Rs 81,800 pay scale was higher than the pay revision commission recommendation, the IAS body said KAS officials would draw more salary than their superior officials when posted at district and state levels.
The disparity in pay structure would upset administrative equations, and hence the government should make a comparative analysis of AIS and KAS salary scale, the IAS association demanded.
IPS Association secretary Harshita Attaluri, too, demanded the government to review the decision, saying its implementation would cause difficulties in the district administrative hierarchy. The IFS association also pointed out the same reason while opposing the Cabinet decision.
Cabinet decision
On Wednesday, the government decided on the pay scale and the incentives as the training of the newly recruited KAS officers would begin soon. It has also sanctioned the Dearness Allowances and House Rent Allowances and 10% grade pay. The officers could draw the basic pay of Rs 81,800 during their training period. Meanwhile, those who have entered KAS from other services will get the last drawn salary or Rs 81,800, whichever is higher.
Will the KAS pay scale impact service equations?
The Cabinet-decided salary scale would enable KAS officials to draw Rs 25,000 more than their superior, entry-level AIS officers, which might cause friction and affect effective administration.
The government, while admitting to the disparity initially, maintained that the salary of IAS officers would be more than that of KAS officials in four to five years due to the higher Central allowances and frequent changes in pay scale.
An officer taking charge as assistant collector trainee would be taking home Rs 56,100 a month, while a KAS official would be drawing Rs 81,800 during the training period itself. The disparity would continue even after the trainee takes charge as assistant collector on a monthly pay of Rs 74,384, which includes dearness and special allowances. Still, it would be Rs 25,000 lesser than the salary of a KAS official, AIS officers pointed out.
Drawing attention to the Public Service Commission (PSC) notification mentioning KAS as a feeder service, the AIS officers questioned the logic behind fixing the KAS salary at a higher level. Incidentally, the basic KAS salary, recommended by the 11th Pay Commission, was Rs 63,700.
Countering, KAS officials said while an AIS officer would get a dearness allowance of 27 per cent, KAS officials would be allowed only seven per cent. The disparity would reflect in allowance also, they argued, saying an AIS officer would get 16 per cent, while it would be 10 per cent for a KAS official. The AIS officers would get the allowance on completion of training, and their salary would rapidly increase.
It was also pointed out that the annual increment of IAS officers was double than that of KAS officials. While IAS officers would be included in the senior time scale in three years, KAS officials have to wait for at least eight years.
What is KAS?
The Kerala Administrative Service, which has been formed on the lines of the Indian Administrative Service, came into existence from November 1. The Public Service Commission handed over the appointment advice memo to 105 recruits.
The posting under KAS is considered as a feeder category for the IAS. Once proved mettle, the KAS officers can get into the IAS cadre after the completion of 10 years of service.
