Forced on the backfoot by a growing discontent among 1.5 lakh state government employees, 40,000 pensioners and 1,800 college teachers, the Left Front government in Tripura has decided to seek a special sanction of funds.
The move aims to bring the payscales on a par with the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission and to implement the UGC-recommended pay allowances for college and university teachers in toto.
Finance minister Badal Chowdhury pressed for the special sanction of funds in a letter to Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. The matter will come up for discussion in Mukherjee’s pre-budget meeting with finance ministers of the states.
Chowdhury stated that there should be no gap between the state employees’ pay and allowances and those of the central staff.
“We upgraded payscales and allowances of state employees and pensioners last year but have not been able to implement payscales and allowances on a par with the central employees. We brought to the notice of the 13th Finance Commission the requirement of funds for the purpose with detailed data but we are yet to know the nature of recommendations made by the finance commission,” Chowdhury said in the letter. He also sought Mukherjee’s intervention in improving the credit-deposit ratio of nationalised banks in Tripura.
The college teachers association has decided to grant the state government time till February 28 to implement the revised UGC payscales, failing which they have threatened an “all-out agitation”.
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