Meghalaya Pay Commission : 50% arrears by this fiscal: C.M. - Meghalaya Opposition demands total 60 % by Christmas

Chief minister Mukul Sangma today assured the Assembly that
50 per cent of the remaining pay arrears would be disbursed to the state’s
employees within this financial year, depending on availability of funds.

The arrears would be released in accordance with the
recommendations of the Meghalaya Fourth Pay Commission.

Last year, the state government had released
40 per cent arrears to all the government departments and assured the staff
that the remaining 60 per cent would be released in the consecutive years.

To a question by NCP legislator James Sangma on the release
of pending 60 per cent arrears, the chief minister said the government would
try and release 50 per cent arrears within this financial year and the
remaining 10 per cent at a later stage.

Raising a supplementary question, Opposition
leader Conrad Sangma urged the government to ensure that the remaining
amount of arrears be released in toto before Christmas this year. He also
sought an assurance from the chief minister in this regard.

Conrad Sangma said the government should release the entire
60 per cent arrears within December this year to motivate the employees to
work harder. Such a step, according to him, would instil confidence among
the staff in various government departments.

The Opposition leader reminded the chief
minister that the soft loan of Rs 545 crore taken by the government in
January 2009 for development programmes was instead used for salary payment
because of liabilities arising in view of the new payscale.

The chief minister admitted that the loan, taken from the
Planning Commission, was used for payment of salary to the government
employees.

Commenting on the pending arrears, the chief minister said as
the state was currently facing financial constraints, it could release the
pending arrears based on its funds position only.

“As the deficit school and college teachers
are yet to avail the recommendations of the Fourth Pay Commission, the
commitment made by the government to them would result in an additional
expenditure of Rs 85 crore (deficit school teachers) and Rs 71 crore
(college teachers),” Sangma said.

Deficit educational institutions are those run
by the managing committees or private bodies, but avail the salary structure
of the government teachers.

The chief minister also pointed out that
despite the pay commission’s recommendations to implement the new payscale
from January 1, 2008, the state government had decided to implement it from
January 1, 2007, to ensure that the employees get the benefits of one more
year.

“We have taken this step despite the empty coffers the
government had inherited,” Sangma added.

He, however, said the state government was
committed to tide over the financial crisis so that the employees could get
the arrears.