The numbers mess

Soon after the Sixth Pay Commission came out with its recommendations, some IT whizkids used the confusion about band pays and grade pays to put up an online calculator. Its aim was to help provide simplified information about the specific entitlements to over five million government employees. While the website made money by garnering advertisements, the Pay Commission found itself in an odd situation. Realising that there were all kinds of interpretations flying around, the panel hurriedly posted a disclaimer on its website distancing itself from the 8216;authenticity8217; of the information provided by these online calculators. Yet, the number of hits continues to grow as government servants grope in the dark about how many more rupees they can expect in their wallets under the new scales.