6th pay not likely in the near future

IMPHAL, Feb 16 : Even though proposal has been made to the 13th Finance Commission in connection with extension of the Central 6th Pay benefits to the employees of the State Government as well, it is very unlikely that the employees would be enjoying the benefit soon as the required amount is yet to be included in the budget of 2009-2010, according to an official source.Disclosing that around Rs 1000 crore is being spent annually from the Non-Plan amount alone in paying the salary of its employees, the official source informed that at the time of extending the benefit of the Central 6th Pay to the employees of the State Government, there would be an increase of Rs 500 crore in the expenditure on the State exchequer.Along with making a proposal to the 13th Finance Commission in this regard, the State Government is planning to table the Budget of 2009-2010 during the fifth session of the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly which is due to begin from March 17 next, the source said, adding that the preparation of the Budget estimation to be tabled by the Finance Department is almost ready but the required amount for extension of the Central 6th Pay to the employees of the State Government is yet to be included in the Budget estimation.Therefore inspite of the proposal to the 13th Finance Commission, non-inclusion of the amount in the State budget is meaningless, said the source. If at all the State Government is really intent on providing the benefit of the Central 6th Pay to its employees, then the amount should be earmarked in the Budget along with extracting a commitment from the Finance Commission in this connection, explained the source.There is an amount of Rs 1500 crores that the State Government can receive from the Centre as Non-Plan Value Deficit Grant Share in Central Taxes and for implementation of the 6th Pay, the State Government should exert pressure on the Government of India for increasing the said amount, the source noted. As for the State Government it is living under the assumption that the 6th pay would be extended after getting the confirmation of the 13th Finance Commission. However, if the Finance Commission does not gives its confirmation as a consequence of failure earmarking the required amount in the budget, there is no hope of sanctioning the amount for implementation of the 6th pay in the fiscal year 2010-2011, the source observed.Similar financial crisis had been encountered at the time of extending the 5th Pay Commission to the employees as no amount had been earmarked in the State budget of 1999-2000, the source recalled.