Rehashed 7th Pay assurance finds no takers : JAC announces casual leave stir
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 28 2019: Taking strong exception to the decision adopted by the State Cabinet yesterday regarding implementation of the 7th Pay, the JAC of AMTUC and AMGEO has announced mass casual stir on July 1 and 2 .

Speaking to media persons at their Babupara office today, JAC secretary general Laitonjam Biken said that what Chief Minister N Biren told the media regarding implementation of the 7th Pay was deliberated at an emergency meeting of the JAC's central executive council held this afternoon.

The meeting strongly condemned the Government's approach to the issue of 7th Pay and decided to undertake mass casual leave on July 1 and 2, Biken said.

Rehashed 7th Pay assurance finds no takers : JAC announces casual leave stir

Earlier, on July 17 last year, the State Cabinet adopted a decision similar to the one adopted yesterday.

Concurring to the same Cabinet decision, Principal Secretary (Finance) V Vumlunmang issued an order on July 20 last year.

After adopting a similar Cabinet decision yesterday, Vumlunmang issued an order today quite similar to the one he issued last year on July 20, Biken said.

He reminded that the JAC and Chief Minister N Biren had held five rounds of talk on the demand for 7th Pay.

The latest round of talk was held on October 18 last year during which the Chief Minister was urged to review the order issued by the Principal Secretary (Finance) on July 20 and Biren assured that the particular order would be reviewed.

Contradictory to the Chief Minister's assurance, the State Cabinet adopted a decision and the Principal Secretary (Finance) issued an order which are all similar to those of last year, and this is unacceptable to the JAC, he asserted.

As per the Cabinet decision, monthly salaries for the period April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020 entitled to the State Government employees and which have been hiked to the scales recommended by the 7th Central Pay Commission would be deposited in the employees' GPF accounts.

But cash payment would start from April 2020.However, the JAC has demanding implementation of the 7th Pay in toto and arrears with effect from January 2016.Including the demand for the 7th Pay, the JAC has been urging the Government to fulfil a 22-point charter of demands, said the JAC secretary general.

After holding five rounds of talks, the JAC sent a written application to the Chief Minister's office on June 3 for another round of meeting.

The Secretary to CM fixed a meeting in the afternoon of June 26 but the Secretary to CM sent a missive to the JAC on June 25 saying that the scheduled meeting has been postponed.

It appears that the Chief Minister deliberately postponed the scheduled meeting with the JAC after overlooking his own assurance to review the order issued by the Principal Secretary (Finance) on July 20 last year so that the State Cabinet could re-adopt a decision already adopted last year, he remarked.

In addition, DA/DR for employees and pensioners have not been paid till March this year by 141 per cent.

Without releasing this pending DA/DR, 7th Pay cannot be implemented.

But there was no sign of the State Cabinet discussing the pending DA/DR, he decried.

Cease work strike and other intense modes of agitation would be launched if the Cabinet decision adopted yesterday and the subsequent order issued by the Principal Secretary (Finance) today are not reviewed by July 10, he warned.

Earlier, the JAC undertook indefinite cease work strike and it was suspended only when the Lok Sabha election model code of conduct came into force on March 11, Biken said.

The JAC's 22-point charter of demands include implementation of 7th Pay in toto, payment of DA/DR, establishment of Manipur State Staff Selection Commission, rectification of pay anomalies, revision of minimum wages, regularisation of genuine work charge, muster roll, casual and contract employees, rising medical allowance from Rs 300 to Rs 500 and complete abolition of service extension/re-engagement.