JAC gears up to put 7th Pay demand to PM
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 02 2019:
The Joint Administrative Council (JAC) of All Manipur Trade Unions' Council (AMTUC) and All Manipur Government Employees' Organisation (AMGEO) has appealed the State Government to pressure the Central Government so as to ensure that an economic package is announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the State on January 4, in light of the protracted demand of the JAC regarding implementation of 7th Pay in the State for the Government employees and pensioners.
Speaking to media persons at a location in Imphal, the secretary general of the JAC of AMTUC and AMGEO, Laitonjam Biken said that the JAC submitted a memorandum to the PM on March 8 last year which explained that only Manipur was left out from enjoying the benefits of 7th Central Pay.
The memo also appealed the PM to announce an economic package so as to ease the suffering of the State Government employees and pensioners, he added.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the State in the past, he did not speak a word about implementation of 7th Pay in the State, he said and urged the PM to give a proper reply to the earlier memo submittedby the JAC, during his (Modi) visit to the State on January 4.He also appealed the PM to give a proper and definitive reply regarding the 22 charter of demands of the JAC.
Biken continued that after failing to get any positive reply to the memo on March 8 last year, a reminder was sent again on June 21.However, there was no reply to the reminder as well, Biken claimed.
Urging the PM to act in the interest of the Government employees of Manipur, the secretary general appealed to the authority concerned to provide 7th Pay for the employees from January 1, 2016 along with arrears.
Biken lamented that despite the Government's assurance that the problem would be solved before last year's Ningol Chakkouba, no positive developments were seen.
The JAC, again, had appealed to the Government to implement 7th Pay before Christmas, but that too fell on deaf ears, he said.
Biken explained that the grant in aid non plan deficit grant of the 12th Finance Commission was Rs 4391.98 crore while that for the 13th Finance Commission and the 14th Finance Commission were Rs 6,056.6 crore and Rs 10,227 crore respectively.
He claimed that the 4th and 6th pay were all managed from the grant-in aid amount and questioned why the 7th Pay cannot be implemented when there is Rs 10,227 crore in grant in aid of non plan deficit grant of the 14th Finance Commission.
He further explained that when a 12 member team led by 15th Finance Commission Chairman KN Singh came to Manipur on November 28 last year, it rejected the State Government's proposal for sanctioning funds for implementation of 7th Pay in the State asking where the grant in aid amount of the 14th Finance Commission had vanished.
The JAC is demanding implementation of 7th Pay from the funds of the 14th Finance Commission and this is not an unreasonable demand, Biken argued.
On the other hand, a meeting has been scheduled between the JAC and the Chief Secretary in connection with the JAC's demand.
A notice issued by the Chief Secretary Office today mentioned that a meeting will be held between the members of the JAC and the Chief Secretary at his office chamber at 12.30 pm of January 7.The meeting will be attended by the Principal Secretary (Finance), Commissioner (Higher and Technical Education/ Education-S), Special Secretary (DP) from the State Government's side.
Comment
