AGARTALA, January 19 (TIWN): Tripura Govt Employees' Association(H B Road) yesterday gave a District wise reputation in all the districts demanding Grade Pay for the state govt employees at par with the Central Govt employees' . And this deputation once again raised the question ," Whether state govt ultimately has given the green signal to its puppet wings." Usually H B Road organ, instead of protecting the interests of the state govt employees, protects the interests of the CPI(M) party and whenever such demands are raised by it, certainly there is considerable amount of doubt arises. It is learnt that after continuous pressure from all corners(even from the HB Road wings) Melarmath discussed with the party's puppet organ HB Road leaders in the first week of January. A highly placed source informed that Melarmath in consultation with the three leaders reached a reasonable solution about the emoyees' issue. And the HB Road leaders have already held four meetings with the Melarmath, said the source.

But till date the final decision is yet to come out from these meetings. The source further said that with either on 18th or 19th of January another meeting will be held.

TIWN sources informed that in the first meeting HB Road leaders were assured that state govt would release 5-7% Dearness Relief in January.

And exactly as per TIWN source predicted state cabinet released 5% DA w.e.f. 01/01/2015. However, HB Road leaders are learnt to be persuading the Melarmath leaders to increase the Grade Pay as per the Central Govt. During the last one year it was tough time for HB Road to control the steering of the employees. And there is no denying of the fact that the CPI(M)'s puppet organ has suffered a tremendous jolt as more than 3500 state govt employees( earlier under the H B Road banner) refused to renew their membership. Even more worrying for CPI(M) is the increase in membership of BJP's Karmachary Mahasangha day by day.

 A statistical presentation on how much an employee in Tripura is being deprived every month:

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/-

Deprivation upon Fixed Pay employees(  the LF Govt led by CM Manik Sarkar itself imposed the policy of recruitment in fixed pay and compulsory fixed pay service of 5 years) -

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.

 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/-

      A highly placed state govt official in the state Finance Department informed that state Cabinet will increase in Grade Pay but certainly it won't be similar to that of the Central Govt employees. Yet under tremendous pressure from all corners state govt has made up the mind to increase in Grade Pay and that too purely because of the consequences likely to hit after the 14th Finance Commission's final report is published.

      Meanwhile, a group of hardcore H B Road employees recently visited TRIPURAINFOWAY.com office and expressed their resentment against the state govt and more importantly against the top leadership of the H B Road. These employees( as requested by them , we can't publish their names) straightway said," H B Road is now a purchased organ of the CPI(M) party and its leaders. It is purely because of the fact that most of the top leaders of H B Road organ bagged couple of appointments for their respective families depriving thoussnds of eligible youths of the state . And now they won't say anything for the interests of the employees' classes. As a rest of it employees are now being bull do zed by this govt. "

       Interestingly a top Melarmath 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 in the interests of the employees. Now as the 14th Finance Commission is all set to publish its final report, we have been forced to present a drama in the name of deputation with following demands :-

1) Grade Pay fir 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 "

       Meanwhile a highly placed state govt employee told this correspondent on Sunday night ," On Tuesday the issue of Grade Pay and fixed pay employees may be raised during the meeting of the state cabinet. But Chief Minister Manik Sarkar is yet to approve the file of the Grade Pay. Thus, uncertainty still prevails over the huge expectation of the employees regarding the Grade Pay. It is no surprise that Manik Sarkar now controls the entire Cabinet and the Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha being in Manik lobby won't say anything that may invite the ill-sight of the CM. "  

      Even the recent release of 5% DA was decided by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar much before the Cabinet meeting held on 7th January. How much DA will be released to the state govt employees is decided after the discussion with the Cabinet ministers in  meeting Cabinet. But in Tripura no such discussion is mandatory as CM Manik is the ultimate authority in every decision.

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.