Council demands disbursal of 7th Pay arrears
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 09 2025: Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM), General Headquarters, has called on the Tribal Affairs & Hills Department to expedite the disbursement of 7th Pay arrears from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2023, to employees of the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs), as mandated under the Manipur Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2019 .

In a press release issued Wednesday, TYCM emphasised the importance of fulfilling the commitment made to the ADC employees and urged the department to forward the necessary recommendation to the Ministry of Finance.

The issue stems from earlier directives by the Finance Department of Manipur, which, through an Office Memorandum (OM No 1/10/2018-FD(PIC)) dated July 28, 2018, specifying that the 7th Pay recommendations would be effective from January 1, 2016, with actual implementation beginning April 1, 2019, later formalised through the Manipur Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2019 .

However, in a subsequent OM dated December 8, 2021 (No I/2/2O2O-FD(PIC)), the Finance Department indicated that due to fiscal constraints, the state cabinet had revisited the decision.

At a meeting held on January 4, 2022, the cabinet resolved that ADC employees not previously covered under the initial cabinet approval would receive 7th Pay benefits only from April 1, 2023, and without notional effect, the Council pointed out.

TYCM then argued that such a decision is inconsistent with previous pay practices, noting that ADC employees have been receiving 6th Pay benefits since January 1, 2006, in alignment with other government employees.

The council further contended that denying full 7th Pay benefits to ADC employees contradicts the principle of equal treatment and undermines the constitutional Right to Equality.

According to TYCM, approximately 8,000 employees currently serve under the various Autonomous District Councils across Manipur, playing a vital role in the governance and development of the state's hill tribal areas.

The Council warned that "Such disparity fosters a sense of discrimination and creates differing sentiments among the communities residing in the state" .

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