Imphal, December 24: The State Cabinet has today decided to adopt a new pension scheme from January 1 next year.

The new scheme will however be applicable only to employees who enter service from 2005.Disclosing this, a well placed source said that under the new scheme, a new fund will be created by deducting 10 pc from the salaries of the employees with the Govt pitching in with 10 pc.

Once this fund is created, the GPF will be done away with for all employees who enter service from 2005, said the source and added that under this new scheme the employees will not be allowed to withdraw the money from the fund until their retirement.

The source also disclosed that earlier, the State Govt spent about Rs 200 crores annually from the State Consolidated Fund to pay the pensioners.

The new scheme will rectify this.

To monitor the implementation of the PMGSY the Cabinet also decided to appoint a State Quality Coordinator.

The Coordinator will be a retired Chief Engineer, said the source adding that the officer will be hired on contract basis for a period of six months.

To make the implementation of the PMGSY more effective six divisions of the PWD were earlier transferred to the RD and PR, which is the implementing agency of the PMGSY.

To improve and develop the Iroishemba Zoo, the Cabinet agreed set up a Manipur Zoological Garden Society with the Additional Chief Secretary as the Chairman.

The Society will be funded by the Central Zoo Authority of India, said the source further.

Other members of the Society will include the VC of MU and Chief Conservator of Forests.

The Horticulture Technology Mission Board will now make way for the Manipur Horticulture Society, said the source and will be headed by the Minister concerned.

Other decisions adopted by the Cabinet included a small amendment of the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination, 1999.The amendment envisages reducing the categories of the employees recruited by MPSC from three to two.

MCS and MPS officers will come under the category number one while SDCs and others will come under category number two.

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