The chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has asserted in no uncertainterms that the state government is in no position to pay arrears of hiked salaries and other monetary benefits except for implementing the bare basic of the salaries recommended by the 6th Pay Commission for Central employees.
The chief minister disclosed in a discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address to the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
The demand by state government employees for implentation of the 6th Pay Commission provision with retrospective effect as in the case of Central government employees and payment of arrears would not be feasible, the chief minster said participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the recent Governor’s address delibered on February 12 sitting of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
The chief minister further said to meet the demands of the employees of the state for the payment of arrears, state government did approach the Planning Commision of India and made an official proposal include the funds for the arrears in calculating the entitlements of the state for the coming years.
He said the state government officially proposed for a total of Rs 21,000 crores to the Planning Commission of India to be relected in the 13th Finance Commission award for the state for the implementation of Sixth Pay Commission and for the payment of arrears to its employees as demanded by the apex employees bodies of JAC of AMTUC and AMGEO.
He further said that the 6th Pay Commission’s pay scales will come into effect from January 1, 2006.If arrears for the entire period between then and now have to be paid off, about Rs 2,000 crore will be needed.
If the 6th Pay Commission’s pay scales are to be paid along with arrears from March, the state will come back to the stage when the treasury remained closed for two/three months at a stretch and pay the employees’ salary after two/three months.
Therefore, the government must spend according to the income.
The 6th Pay scales will be paid to the pensioners too, the Chief Minister said.
Source : Kangla Online and E-PAO.
