MANIPUR EMPLOYEES DEMAND TIMEFRAME ON SALARY HIKE

The Manipur government employees, on a ceasework strike since last week, on Sunday demanded a timeframe for the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. Out of the 19 BJP ruled states, Manipur is the only where the recommendations have not been implemented. The strike was jointly called on March 22 by the All Manipur Trade Unions Council and the All Manipur Government Employees Organisation.

L. Biken, general secretary of the Joint Administrative Council (JAC) of the striking employees, said: "We are not saying that the enhanced pay should be given now. "All what we want is that the government should give a written commitment on when the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission will be implemented in Manipur."

Referring to Chief Minister N. Biren Singh's "excuse" that being a resourceless state, Manipur depends mostly on the central government and so it cannot implement the higher pay, Biken said the state government had implemented the 4th, 5th and 6th pay commission.