Arunachal to pay 15 months’ arrears

The Arunachal Pradesh government, in a bid to woo disgruntled 86,000 employees ahead of the Assembly elections, today announced the payment of 15 months’ arrears, amounting to nearly Rs 300 crore.

Water resources development minister and government spokesperson Tako Dabi said the decision was taken at a cabinet meeting yesterday.

“The cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Dorjee Khandu and attended by all the cabinet members, decided to provide 15 months’ arrears to the 86,000 state government employees, according to the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. The government, however, decided against giving in to the employees’ demand to increase the retirement age of government employees from 58 years to 60,” Dabi told reporters.

Dabi said the government’s decision to pay the arrears was prompted by the employees’ long agitation in December last year.

The government, however, is yet to take a decision on giving the employees HRA and other allowances.

The cabinet also took other important policy decisions regarding the creation of Lower Siang and Longding districts.

The government will give Rs 15 crore to panchayati raj institutions to streamline their functions in the state.

The employees began an agitation in December last year in protest against the state government’s “apathy” to their demands. They were demanding the immediate implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations, fixation of the employees’ superannuation age at 60, regularisation of services of contingency and work-charged employees and a stop to the contract appointment of teachers and other employees.

The disgruntled employees, under the banner of the Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh, a conglomeration of 53 state government employees’ unions, took to the streets to get their rights fulfilled by the state government.

Later, the employees called off the agitation on February 28 after the state government decided to look into their demands and resumed duty on March 1.

Source : The Telegraph.