Employees ask ‘Why did you promise’

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, June 8: Employees under Zonal Education Office, Zone-1 have asked why the BJP at the time of election made promises to implement the recommendations of the 7^th Pay Commission which cannot be fulfilled.

Employees of the zonal education office at Khoyathong staged a sit-in demanding immediate implementation of the central pay scale urging that the fund for the pay has been included in the 14^th financing commission.

“Ahead, in election the ruling party in their ‘vision document’ promised to furnish 7^th Pay scale. But now they say there is no fund. Don’t they know it at the time of drafting the vision document? Why it is said to provide the pay scale when 15th finance commission comes, but it has been included in the 14th finance commission,” said Ningthouja Joyvidya, AI, ZEO, zone 1.

He asked why the issued is placed only recently to the Union finance minister of state when he visited Imphal. “Why the government keep saying of financial shortage instead of urging the Centre for a package,” asked Joyvidya.

Employees in Manipur have been indulging on the cease work strike spearheaded by the Joint Administrative Council of AMTUC and AMGEO since March 22.

It has been 78 days of strike demanding for the pay scale for the welfare of the state employees and pensioners. While the joint administrative council is struggling, few organisations like the Secretariat Service Association and Manipur Government Services Federation in the name of representing the mass employees have been interfering by holding talks with the government by diverting the rights of the employees, said L. Biken, secretary general of the joint administrative council.

He said, “We are not ready to accept government’s invitation for talks unless the warrant to arrest JAC members is taken back?” “We have talked with the government many times and assured to fulfil our demand.”

Chief minister N. Biren Singh had recently assured to furnish the central pay scale. However the employees are demanding a fix date of implementation of the pay commission’s recommendations.