CM backtracks, agrees to pay arrears

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Dec 22: Taking yet another U-turn, the Tarun Gogoi government on Tuesday decided to pay pending arrears of State government employees, even though during the recent Assembly session, the government claimed in the House that there are no pending arrears to be paid.

This development came following a meeting, convened as a sequel to a series of meetings between the Chief Minister and the Sadou Asom Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) to discuss and resolve various issues of employees and pensioners of the State government. During the meeting, the Chief Minister said that the government would announce before Magh Bihu as to what extent the arrear pay will be disbursed to the employees.

It may be mentioned that State government employees are yet to receive their arrears of the 6th Pay Commission from the month of January 2006 to March 2008.

Talking to mediapersons soon after the meeting, SAKP president Basab Kalita said that the meeting ended on a positive note and they are hopeful of a positive outcome. “We are satisfied. Earlier the government said that the issue of arrears is a closed chapter and there will be no more talks about it. But now that the government has opened it, we see a ray of hope. We hope the positive attitude of the Chief Minister will lead to a positive outcome.”

It is estimated that it will cost the State government Rs 600 crore to pay six-months arrears to the State government employees and pensioners.

The State government also decided to provide a comprehensive, cashless medical scheme for regular government employees, pensioners and their dependents during the meeting. Moreover, conceding the demand of the SAKP, Chief Minister Gogoi said that necessary modalities would be completed to declare Kati Bihu as a government holiday.