Govt to implement 6th Pay Panel report Spl Correspondent NEW DELHI, June 24 – With the State employees turning the heat on Assam Government, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today decided to convey to the Union Finance Ministry the decision to hike the salaries of the State Government employees according to the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. The Chief Minister was slated to meet Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and discuss about a number of proposals being worked out by the State Government to ease the impact of the financial crisis.
After completing his health check-up yesterday, Gogoi today called on a number of Central Ministers including Union Water Resources Minister, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Union Minister of State, Vincent H Pala, Union Minister for Tourism and Housing Kumari Selja, besides Mukherjee. In the evening he called on ailing Governor Shiv Charan Mathur at Escort Heart Institute.
Gogoi said that his main agenda for the meeting with Mukherjee was to discuss about the implication of hiking pay of government employees on the States finances. “We have decided to hike the salaries of the employees and we will face the situation arising out of the decision,” the Chief Minister told this newspaper.
The Chief Minister hinted that the Government was looking at an additional burden of Rs 5000-6000 crore. “Initially, we expect to face hardship, but if we overcome that then in the long run, we hope to get some relief from the Central Government to plug the gap in the resources,” he said.
However, the State Government is still in the process of working out the period from which the hike would be made effective. The arrears may be high and some of the States have given retrospective effect only since 2008, he added.
A formal announcement of the details is likely to be part of the State Budget.
Gogoi reasoned that non-implementation of the Pay Commissions recommendation by the State Government may lead to lot of heartburn among the employees. For Gogoi the stakes couldn’t be higher given that he faces an election in about two years time and hostile government employees might wreak havoc to his party’s prospects. Sadou Asom Karmachari Parishad has already started issuing threats.
There is no option for the Government of Assam but make similar pay revision for its employees also, he said.
The State Government has called for 100 per cent Central assistance to the Special Category State to meet the additional burden on this count.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister sought a special package for the North-east in the Union Budget, besides a number of employment– generating schemes.
Describing his meeting with Union Water Resources Minister, Bansal as fruitful, he said that a number of problems relating to the Ministry were discussed.
The most significant demand was a plea to revive the North East Water Resources Authority (NEWRA) which is gathering dust at the Centre after a firm protest by Arunachal Pradesh.
With reports of Arunachal Pradesh softening its stand, Gogoi pressed the MoWR to revive the plan. “I have fully supported Arunachal Pradesh Government’s demand for compensation for submerging of their land and rehabilitating affected people,” he said.
“I have nothing against any agreement the Centre works out with AP in this regard,” he said, adding that there was no reason why the State should suffer.
The Prime Minister’s brainchild project NEWRA failed to take off because AP opposed it tooth and nail. Assam is also opposing the proposal for construction of run of the river hydel projects and supports the proposal for water retention dam, which helps in flood control. At least six mega hydropower projects are in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, the processing of project proposal for the Rohmoria project is on and sanctions are expected soon. The flood and erosion damage report is also under consideration of the Ministry, he said.
About Matmora embankment project, Gogoi conceded that there have been delays. He blamed it on the delay in procuring the machineries, which had to be imported from Malaysia.
