Imphal, January 16 2010: While confirming that recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission would be definitely extended to employees of the State Government, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has ruled out the possibility of paying arrears.

Addressing a press meet at his conference hall this evening, O Ibobi appealed to call off the cease work strike of the Joint Administrative Council of the All Manipur Trade Union Council and the All Manipur Government Employees' Organisation in the interest of the State.

Altogether Rs 660.46 crores would be spent on paying employees' salaries during the current financial year 2009-10 .

Once recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission are implemented, the annual expenditure on paying salaries would rise to Rs 726.89 crores in 2010-11, Rs 763.23 crores in 2011-12, Rs 801.40 crores in 2012-2013, Rs 841.46 crores in 2013-14 and Rs 883.54 crores in 2014-15, the Chief Minister elaborated.

After studying the matter minutely, the Government decided to implement the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission.

In case, the Government should pay arrears calculating from 2006, another Rs 2000 crores is required.

This is beyond the capacity of the Government, Ibobi said.

Although the State Government has been proposing the required amount for paying arrears to the 13th Finance Commission, it is unlikely that the proposal would be accepted.

"If the 13th Finance Commission turns down the proposal, the State Government has no means to pay arrears", Ibobi said.

Payment of arrears would mean inordinate delay in distribution of salaries.

The situation would reverse to the past where salaries were paid after three or five months.

Pointing out that Northeastern States like Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura are yet to implement recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission, Ibobi maintained that many big States having resources of thousands of crores of rupees have not implemented the recommendations.

The State Government cannot consider only for its 60,000/70,000 strong employees.

The Government cannot see only one side.

Manipur is not solely for the 60,000/70,000 employees.

Manipur is for all the 23 lakh people inhabiting it, the Chief Minister asserted.

This does not mean that the demands of the JAC would be brushed aside.

Stating that reasonable demands would be fulfilled, Ibobi claimed that larger number of the JAC's demands have been met already.

The demand for extension of service period to 60 years cannot be accommodated in the interest of the large number of unemployed youths living in the State, Ibobi clarified.

Expressing dismay over the report that JAC members went around some departments in their effort to mobilise employees today, the Chief Minister said that only about 50 per cent of the plan amount could be utilised till date due to delay in finalisation of plan size by the Planning Commission.

The State must utilise Rs 2000 crores during the current financial year.

But only about 75 days are remaining before the end of the financial year.

Stating that this is a very crucial period, Chief Minister O Ibobi appealed to the JAC to withdraw the cease work strike in the interest of the State.

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