Imphal, September 08: At this Juncture, sources in the state finance department said that there is little hope of the government being able to pay salaries in the next two or three days.

Though Parliament has passed the vote on accounts for the period from August to November for the state, it has still not received the assent of the President.

Without receiving the assent the Centre will not be able to release any money far the state.

The government is also likely to face difficulties in clearing the overdraft with the Reserve Bank of India even if money is released by the Centre, as the over draft now stands at over Rs 160 crores.

Meanwhile, a recent directive issued by the state finance department asking government employees to clear their power dues before they can be paid their salaries has caused an uproar among employees and the general public alike.

The order; No 9/20/2000 dated September 5, issued by the under secretary, finance, Ajit Singh, declared that bills for payment of salaries will not be passed by the department unless accompanied by power dues clearance certificates.

It may be mentioned that state government employees have not yet received their July salaries.

Blasting the government�s insensitivity to the sufferings of the public, many sections have pointed out that apart from nonpayment of salaries; there has been acute scarcity of essential commodities due to a nearly month-long blockade on the national highways.

The administration was only interested in tormenting the public, they declared.

Demanding that the order should be immediately withdrawn, they maintained that there is no money to clear the power dues.

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