6th Pay irrelevant to Plan amount: COTA
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 27 2011: Accusing the State Government of trying to project teachers in the wrong light, the Council of Teachers' Association (COTA) has stated that the demand for implementation of the 6th Central Revised Pay has nothing to do with welfare/development programmes of the State or money meant for such programmes.

Speaking to media persons at the Manipur Press Club here today, COTA co-convenor B Koireng said that an MoU was signed between COTA and the Government of Manipur on May 9, 2010 for giving 6th Pay to teachers of Government schools from Primary level to secondary level.

The MoU guaranteed that teachers would be given 6th Pay if they were ready to sacrifice arrears for 45 months which amounted to Rs 600 crores.

In accordance to this understanding, teachers gave up their claim to 45 months of arrears but the Government has turned back from its assurance and the teachers are not given 6th Pay till date, Koireng decried.

COTA organiser Kh Jibon remarked that it was utter irresponsibility on the part of the Chief Minister to ask for doubling of tax rates in exchange for implementation of 6th Pay.

The State Government neither sought's people consensus nor did it double tax rates when salaries and allowances of MLAs were hiked in line with the 6th Pay.

Jibon said that monthly salaries of MLAs have been increased to Rs 1.20 lakh from Rs 30,000, enjoyment allowance to Rs 7000 from Rs 2050 and tour allowance to Rs 2000 from Rs 500 .

The annual tour allowance for the 60 MLAs has been increased to Rs 4.32 crores but the Government did not seek people's consensus when it came to the salaries and allowances of the MLAs.

Leaving aside teachers when most of the employees under the State Government have been given 6th Pay is an open act of discrimination, Jibon decried.

Maintaining that extending 6th Pay benefits to teachers have nothing to do with the plan amount, he clarified that the teachers have been demanding what the 6th Pay Commission recommended and nothing more.

There is no need to double tax rates for giving 6th Pay to teachers.

Nevertheless, the Government may streamline its revenue collection mechanism at the existing rates, Jibon said.

COTA advisor T Rameshwar said that the ongoing agitation of teachers would continue until their demands are fulfilled.

So far, 226 teachers have been sent to jail.

Rameshwar lamented that the Government has been projecting the teachers in the wrong light instead of extending 6th Pay to the 9511 primary teachers, secondary teachers and lecturers.

Another COTA co-convenor M Joykumar said that teachers from Primary level to Secondary level have been getting their salaries in the same scales they received in 1999 .

In addition, arrears for 45 months have not been claimed.

On the other hand, prices of all essential commodities have increased multiple times between 1999 and 2010 .

Moreover, the number of teachers has been decreasing as vacancies left by retirement have not been filled up whereas there was no recruitment of primary teachers, Joykumar said.

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