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Cabinet approves 15% increase in gross monthly allowances of Ministers, MLAs; But State Govt employees Central Pay Scale is being denied on the pretext of Central Deprivation(Kendriya Banchana)
Bhaskar N Sarkar
Cabinet approves 15% increase in gross monthly allowances of Ministers, MLAs; But State Govt employees Central Pay Scale is being denied on the pretext of Central Deprivation(Kendriya Banchana)
PHOTO : CM Manik's Delhi drama on Nov 26 against Modi Govt for curtailing MGNREGA funds. TIWN Pic

AGARTALA, February 4 (TIWN): In an interesting decision just ahead of the upcoming Budget Session of the Assembly, State Cabinet led by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Tuesday decided to increase the gross monthly allowances of Ministers, MLAs to 15%. However, Tuesday's decision of the Cabinet has again raised the issue of double standard being played by Manik & Co. Since 1998 state govt employees are having a horrible time as far as the dues of salary are concerned. Ever since Manik Sarkar sworn in as the Chief Minister , he and his colleagues have been playing the same and old tape record of blaming the Centre for Depriving the state so popularly known as 'Kendriya Banchana'. Even though Manik Sarkar envisages Kendriya Banchana in imposing Central Pay Scale in Tripura for its state govt employees,but he assumes as a sympathetic Avatar for all parties especially ahead of the crucial budget session. Cabinet's approval is an indication that a Bill will be presented before the Assembly during the upcoming session of the Assembly and it is sure to be passed without any debate.

And thus, all on a sudden Manik Sarkar has paved the way for a peaceful session this time which was expected to be marked by huge debate on various issues likes of the unabated corruption in almost all departments and especially in different blocks under various Centrally Sponsored funds such as MGNREGA, NRHM, RMSA, SSA, PMGSY and the much talked scams unearthed by the Leader of Opposition Sudip Roy Barman in recent times.
What is interesting is the way the state cabinet approves the increase of monthly allowances of Ministers and MLAs. Usually state govt used to increase the allowances based on the initial amount of the allowances but this time ( quite surprisingly) state Cabinet approved the Bill of Increase of 15% Monthly Allowances of Ministers and MLAs and that too of Gross Allowances. Will this initiative make the opposition leaders especially MLAs to suppress some of the crucial facts related with corruption in the House? 

TRIPURAINFOWAY.com has been presenting a  statistical presentation on how much a state govt employee in Tripura is being deprived every month for long but not on the basis of any personal jealousy but on factual proof. Let's look at the following stats:- 
 
A) Every Month Loss state employees simply due to DA difference with the Centre :-

1) GROUP D Rs 3433/-
2) GROUP C Rs 12882 /-
3) GROUP B Rs 17901/-
4) GROUP A Rs 53320/- 

Deprivation upon teachers under various categories
1) Under Graduate Teacher- Rs 16744/- per month and yearly Rs 231852 /-
2) Graduate Teacher -      Rs 17665/- per month and yearly Rs 248000/-
3) Post  Graduate Teacher  Rs 15635/- per month and yearly Rs 218412/-

B) Deprivation imposed  upon Fixed Pay employees(  the LF Govt in 1998 led by the  Honest & Clean (?)CM Manik Sarkar itself imposed the policy of  fixed pay recruitmrnt  and compulsory and a fixed pay employee is to suffer for  5 years for this) -

1) UGT/LDC/Work Assistant -              Rs 39.75 lakh
3) Graduate Teacher and its equivalent      Rs 52.5 lakh
3) Post Graduate Teacher and its equivalent   Rs 55 lakh.
      During these five years service as fixed pay, the employees are being deprived of 5 yearly increment , GPF benefit and others.

 C) At present state govt employees are getting 38% less from the Central Employees only in DA and as a result of it the deprivation on the state employees every month only for DA are as follows:-

1) PB-I - Rs 3557/-
2)PB-II -Rs 9350/-
3) PB-III- Rs 13687/-
4) PB-IV- Rs 35720/-
        Interestingly a top level Melarmath lobby's  honest employee made the crucial remark saying  ," The main culprits behind the ill-fate of the state govt employees in Tripura are leaders like Ashesh Debroy, Ashim Paul, Bishnu Bhaatacharjee and three more leaders. This group is mainly responsible for the poorest pay structure that the state govt employees are now having in Tripura. In the year 2012 ( in March) then then Finance Minister Badal Chowdhury instructed the Finance Department officials to prepare the draft of the Grade Pay but mysteriously this file was not approved by the Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. Though these leaders knew this , they did not utter a single word not in the interest of state govt employees but purely due to their vested interest( many of whom have more than two employees in their houses).  Now as the 14th Finance Commission is all set to publish its final report, CPI(M)'s employees' wing H B Road was forced to present a drama in the name of Districtwise deputation recently with following demands :-
1) Grade Pay for state govt employees to be implemented at par with the Central Govt employees
2) Release of the 38% DA immediately
3) Training Incentives to teachers and govt employees in other department
4) Regularization of the Fixed Pay employees after the completion of 3 years of services instead of the present 5 years "
Usually it is seen that whenever, the salary of the state employees are to be  increased, the decision is taken  after the discussion with the Cabinet ministers in  meeting Cabinet. But in Tripura no such discussion is mandatory as CM Manik is the ultimate boss(?) in every decision. Even when he is not present in a Cabinet, his wills are passed without any doubt 
Even in the Cabinet Memo prepared much before the Cabinet meeting on 7th January the Finance Secretary Asutosh Jindal categorically  wrote ," ... ... Release for further installment of DA/DR @ 4%/5%/6% over the revised pay/revised pension to the State Government employees/pensioners. "  
In that secret Cabinet Memo Finance Secretary Asutosh Jindal also wrote ," Hon'ble Chief Minister has kindly given his consent to place the proposal before the council of Ministers for consideration." The matter written in the secret Cabinet Memo won't have known to the people of the state had Finance Minister Bhanu Lal Saha not given it to the media persons during the Press Conference held on 8th January while briefing the media.persons about the decisions taken during the Cabinet meeting held on 7th January.  This Memo is an indication that not a single Minister in the Cabinet has anything to say in the meeting except those instructed to them by the Chief Minister.
        Unfortunately in Tripura the oppositions are so divided in groups that the appeal of the common mass often go unheard. As a result of which it is alleged that by many of the rullibg party MLAs," An MLA from Gomati District  has been successful to suppress corruption related issues from being raised in the Assembly due to his clause relation with a heavyweight Congress MLA. And due to this secret relation the wealth of the ruling MLA is increasing on a much higher rate that expected. " 
 
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