Imphal, September 22: To find out the likely financial impact on the State when the 6th Pay Commission is implemented the Cabinet which met today has decided to set up a committee with the Chief Secretary as the Chairman.

The Cabinet however could not take a definite decision on increasing the rate of passenger fares.

Presided by the Chief Minister the Cabinet discussed the likely expenditure that will be incurred once the 6th Pay Commission is adopted and decided to form a Committee to study the exact amount that will be needed with the Chief Secretary as the Chairman.

The Principal Secretary, Finance will be the convenor of the Committee while the other members include the Principal Secretary Home, Commissioner Higher Education, Commissioner School Education, Commissioner Works, Law Secretary and DP Secretary.

The Cabinet has instructed the Committee to submit their report within three months.

With bus owners demanding a hike in the rate of passenger fares, following the increase in the price of fuel, the Cabinet discussed the issue, but did not take a definite decision.

Though the Cabinet has more or less agreed that the fare should be hiked, it was felt that the matter should be discussed more minutely considering the impact it will have on the public.

It was decided that the matter would be discussed in great detail in the next Cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet also discussed the feasibility of holding a common final examination for Class VIII students and decided that the BSEM will prepare the question for the Class VIII final examination, which all the schools under the BSEM should adhere to.

It was agreed that the common final examination should be introduced from 2009.The common final examination will serve some purposes, said a senior Cabinet Minister and explained that such an arrangement will reveal whether all the private schools are sticking to the syllabus spelt out by the Government or not.

This will make the model of a common syllabus meaningful.

The Cabinet also agreed that the Ordinance which has been prepared following the inputs from the Hill Areas Committee and the Select Committee for the ADCs will be introduced in the coming Assembly session as a Bill to be passed.

A Bill to adopt the Scavenging and Dry Latrine (Prohibition Bill of 1993) will also be introduced during the Assembly session.

The Act is a Central Act and once it is implemented it will help in checking scavenging.

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