"Won't accept 7th Pay from liquor revenue"
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 22 2018: Claiming that it objects the decision taken by the State Cabinet on July 18 to implement the 7th Pay with effect from January 1, 2020, the JAC of AMTUC and AMGEO has announced that it will not accept any proposal of paying State Government employees' salary from the revenues collected from selling liquor.

Speaking to media persons, secretary general of the JAC Laitonjam Biken informed that altogether four resolutions were adopted during a joint emergency meeting of the core committee, consultative committee and executive council of the JAC which was held today.

He said that the first resolution opposes the decision taken by the State Cabinet on July 1X to implement 7th Pay in the State with effect from January 1, 2020 .

There is a budget amounting to Rs 35,000 crore along with a grant-in-aid amounting to Rs 10,227 crore in the budget of the 14th Finance Commission.

The amount of Rs 1400 crore needed for payment of 7th Pay can be easily managed out of it and the J AC never asked the State Government to pay the 7th Pay from the revenue collected from the selling liquor, he explained and added that the JAC has to make this point very clear as its legitimate movement for implementation of 7th Pay may be misled or misinterpreted.

The 4th, 5th and 6th Pays had been implemented amidst the time when the State was declared as a "dry State" .

The JAC does not want the State Government to give 7th Pay from the revenue collected from sale of liquor.

Biken stated adding that there are contentions from several quarters that Manipur Liquor Prohibition (Second Amendment) Bill 2018 has been introduced to meet additional expenses required for payment of the 7th Pay to State Government employees.

The joint emergency meeting also resolved to send a written note letter to the CM in this regard soon as well as a reminder note to the Prime Minister informing about their problems.

Demanding the State Government to implement the 7th Pay with effect from January 1, 2016, he asked why the State Government employees should get the 7th Pay with effect from January 1, 2020 by losing a period of four years and a half.

The State Government's repeated claim that it does not have fund to implement 7th Pay is false and baseless as there is a huge amount from the 14th Finance Commission's award, Biken said and went on to ask the Government to produce a white paper to prove its claim.

He then asserted that the prevailing issues of the State were also discussed during the joint emergency meeting and the JAC has resolved to extend moral support to the people's movement.

Asking all the State Government employees to cooperate with the JAC, Biken also appealed all to support the JAC's movement, saying that implementation of the 7th Pay in the State will bring benefits to everyone.

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