Following representations from several government employee unions, the Gujarat government on Friday has decided to release salaries of its own employees early. This decision has been taken so that employees get their Diwali perk early.

While speaking to press persons deputy Chief Minister Shri Nitin Patel, said that the salaries for the month of October will be paid five days early, which is by October 24. There is a total of 4.66 lakh employees in the state government employees in various departments.

This year, the state government will be paying almost Rs 2,000 crore in salaries to these employees on an advance date. It was in July that the state government had announced that it will implement the recommendations of the seventh pay commission following the lines of the central announcement. Employees of class-4 to class-1 as per the recommendations will now get a hike of 14.60 per cent to 25 per cent in their salaries.

Earlier, Gujarat government spokesperson and state Finance Minister Saurabh Patel had said that the government may have to bear an extra burden of Rs 6,000 crore annually if it decides to implement the pay hike suggested by the 7th Pay Commission.