CM's balm on employees' wound
Sixth Pay Comn will surely be implemented one day, just wait a little : Ibobi
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Moirang, December 28 2008: IN HIS most charming and inimitable style of speaking, State Chief Minister Okram Ibobi today tried to anoint balm on the wounded anxiety of over 60,000 employees of the Government of Manipur by saying that the government will surely implement the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations one day and appealed to them to "just wait a little." The Chief Minister was speaking as chief guest at a grand function held at the Congress Bhavan complex here to mark the 123rd anniversary of the Indian National Congress. Calling upon the government employees to relax their cease-work strike, Chief Minister Ibobi said, a team of the 13th Finance Commission will come to Imphal in January next.

The state government will insist the Commission to pay enough money to implement the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations since the Centre says that they should be implemented, he said.

CM Ibobi, MP Rishang Keishing, Speaker Dr Budhichandra, Gaikhangam and others

Ibobi further said, the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations would cost the state exchequer Rs 4,000 crore every month.

Unless the Centre shells out the amount, the state has no resource of its own to pay.

He had a telephonic talk with his counterpart of Arunachal Pradesh and he had told him that they would not be able to pay their government employees as the Sixth Pay Commission recommends, Chief Minister Ibobi told the gathering.

He said, it is most unfortunate that the Health Department has also joined the cease-work strike.

In connection with the occasion, the Chief Minister said, it was indeed lucky to be member of the Congress party.

No other party in India could take the role that the workers of Indian National Congress took in the nation's freedom movement.

Therefore, the Congress workers must not forget to protect the integrity of India and Manipur, he said.

Ibobi further said that the party would expose those who had made promises before the elections but couldn't fulfill them.

He also appealed to the Congress workers to make a concerted effort to win the two Lok Sabha seats in the coming general elections.

He affirmed that developmental programmes were yet to be taken up in the remote areas in the hills.

He is unable to sleep thinking that people would ask what has been done even after ruling in the state for seven years.

Saying that several places in Imphal city, the airport road etc would have to be expanded, he appealed to the public to extend cooperation.

The electric lines in the Imphal city areas would be laid in cables underground very soon.

The Centre has also approved the plan, he announced.

The result of the by-election of Moirang AC would indicate whether the people accept Congress or not, Ibobi said and added, it is the essential duty of every Congress-man to strengthen the party.

President of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, Gaikhangam who presided over the function said, if the history of India is to be pointed out, it would be Congress.

By strengthening Congress, the integrity of India and Manipur would be strengthen.

The Ibobi government is for the people and the people accept the Ibobi government, he said and appealed to the Congress workers to make the party victorious in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Rajya Sabha MP, Rishang Keishing said, all party workers should try to make Congress a party which both God and people accept.

It is not the time for killing each other.

Let us try to bring peace without using arms.

He also expressed his desire to see a Manipur where both the hills and the plains get developed equally.

Lok Sabha MP, Dr T Meinya said, people need to be aware of the uselessness of the killings that are going on in the stae and need to stop these.

Assembly Speaker, Dr S Budhichandra, Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing and several other ministers spoke on the occasion.

MLAs, Ministers, party functionaries and workers attended the function.

The gathering also paid obeisance to 16 party workers who have passed away between the period of December 2007 and December 2008 .

Prizes were also distributed to the winners of Priyadarshini Spot Written Quiz Competition 2008 .