8th Pay Commission update: The Eighth Pay Commission is now in place, but central employees still have a lot of questions. For instance, they’re curious about when the recommendations from the Pay Commission will actually be put into action. Another big question is what will happen to the schemes that are related to central employees. However, we’ll only get clarity on these issues once the Pay Commission releases its recommendations. Let’s take a look at the key plans for central employees.
CGHS
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) is a key health initiative by the Government of India aimed at central government employees, pensioners, and their families. It offers medical services through a broad network of wellness centers and approved hospitals. This includes consultations, treatments, diagnostics, and medications, making healthcare both accessible and affordable. Beneficiaries can easily generate e-CGHS cards online, and the scheme provides package-based treatments without a fixed coverage cap.
House Building Advance
Through the Central Government’s House Building Advance (HBA) scheme, employees can get home loans at very low interest rates. This scheme allows the government to provide loans for constructing, purchasing, renovating, or buying a house or plot. A central government employee can borrow a maximum amount of up to 34 times their basic salary plus DA, or up to Rs 25 lakh, as HBA. The interest rates offered by the government for HBA are significantly lower than those in the market, typically ranging from 6% to 7.5%.
This scheme is available to all permanent central government employees, and even temporary employees can access it under certain conditions. However, it’s essential that the central government employee has completed at least five years of service and hasn’t previously received any government housing or housing-related benefits.