New Delhi, Aug 4: The government on Monday decided to withhold implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission's recommendations for its 52-lakh employees involving a package of Rs 13,500 crore.

This comes in the wake of agitational approach adopted by employees' associations. Cabinet secretary TSR Subramaniam said, "We have withheld implementation of the commission's report because we find the government has done well. ``We have gone way beyond the recommendations which we feel are quite generous. And after paying Rs 13,500 crore, we find everybody is dissatisfied."

The government is doing a rethink in view of the threatened agitation by employees. Sources said the threatened stir and protests had dismayed the government which, they maintained, went out of the way to satisfy requirements of low-paid employees.

They said any decision of the centre would have repercussions on state governments with state employees likely to demand similar pay hikes.Already, many state governments were paying 90 to 95 per cent of their revenues on salaries for their employees.

Reacting to the decision, CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta asked: "Why they (government) have taken so much time to take a decision to put it on hold?. They knew from the beginning that they (employees) were all opposed to it. Why should they spend so much time sleeping over the issue?"

Fifth pay panel member Suresh Tendulkar said, "It is more a reflection on indecisiveness on part of the centre rather than anything to do with merits of the pay commission's report."

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.