Imphal, December 20 2010: Government employees have rejected an order granting pay arrears for six months in two equal installments issued by the Pay Implementation Cell of the state Finance Department pointing out various flaws in the proviso.

The state Finance Department on December 15 issued an order granting arrears of pay for six months from 01/10/2009 to 31/03/2010 in two equal installments, the first installment on 01/11/2011 subject to certain conditions.

The first condition states that for the serving employees the arrears for the first installment will be deposited into the respective GPF accounts of the employees for a period of six months and the arrears for the second installment shall be considered by 01/06/2011 after obtaining the achievement of target collection of arrears and current dues by the Power Department.

The second condition also states that for retired or expired government employees during the said period of six months (from 01/10/2009 to 31/03/2010 and those covered by the New Pension Scheme, the arrears shall be paid in cash.

The order also clarified that arrears of pay will only be the difference between the revised basic pay plus Dearness Pay and the revised basic pay plus applicable Grade Pay and the calculation will not include any allowances in both the cases.

The Joint Administrative Council (JAC), an apex body of Manipur government employees while categorically rejecting the order of the government, has termed it as an order that exploits the employees.

A statement of the JAC said that a meeting between representatives of the body and commissioner (finance) held on December 17 thoroughly discussed the order and that in the meeting the Finance Commissioner had admitted the flaws in the order.

In the meeting with the commissioner, they pointed out that in article 1 (2) of the Manipur Services (Revision of Pay) Rules 2010 issued on 05/05/2010, it had been clearly mentioned that the new pay bands will be given to the employees effective from 01/01/2006 and that arrears will be paid effective from 01/01/2009 .

After the JAC strongly objected the order the government agreed to rectify the order.

But before issuing a rectified order, the government instead issued the order granting arrears of pay for six months.

The JAC said the order cannot be a valid order and that until and unless the flaws in the earlier order are rectified, they ill not accept any order of granting arrear of pay for six months.

The pay fixation issue has been the bone of contention between government employees and the authority for the last two years.

Comment