NAGPUR: After a long wait, over 9,400 employees of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, including 1500 teachers, are smiling. The civic body has started giving sixth pay commission scales to all employees with effect from December 1. December wages are being paid now and so the fatter pay packets come as New Year gift for the employees. These employees including Class III and IV category were already paid an advance of Rs 3000 before Diwali.

Mayor Archana Dehankar said that NMC had implemented sixth pay commission scales for all its employees. The employees were demanding new scales from October salary paid in November and an advance of Rs 5000.

Standing committee chairman Sandeep Joshi told TOI that he had already made a provision of Rs 48 crore for increased wages in this year's budget. "We have recovered Rs 53 crore more revenue in first six months and another Rs 40 crore were recovered in last three months making it Rs 90 crore for nine months. Our total revenue is expected to increase by Rs 120 to 130 crore this financial year so we would be able to bear this burden," he said.

Chief Accounts and Finance officer Madan Gadge stated that sixth pay commission scales would cost NMC an extra Rs 50 crore every year. It will cost Rs 12 crore this financial year. Earlier, NMC finance officials had said that new scales could not be implemented until proposal seeking relaxation in October 2009 government resolution, sent to urban development ministry, was cleared.

The GR had prohibited all civic bodies having administrative expenditure more than 35% from increasing it any further. "As we have already recovered Rs 90 crore more revenue in nine months of this financial year, our establishment expenses will come under the prescribed limits," Gadge stated.