AGARTALA, July 21 (TIWN): Maintaining its tradition for more than two decades Manik Sarkar led CPI-M Gov't in Tripura has decided to move to Supreme Court challenging the recent High Court's decision about the pending 31% DA to state gov't employees in three instalments. On 19th June Justice Subhasish Talapatra while giving his verdict instructed the state gov't to release pending 31% DA to the employees in three instalments. Justice Talapatra also suggested that in the state gov't can't provide the benefit in cash it can provide the same by depositing the amount of pending DA of 31% to the employees' General Provident Fund. But on Tuesday Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha while addressing the media in the state secretariat informed that in the Cabinet meeting state gov't has decided to challenge the HC's verdict in the Supreme Court. Thus, this decision once again brings out the Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's anti-employee attitude. Since 1998 when Manik Sarkar became the Chief Minister for the first time CPI-M Gov't has been depriving the state employees quite intentionally.

And there is no denying of the fact that  this deprivation is nothing but a planned tactics of Manik Sarkar because in the state Ministry no one can raise a single word against the interest of Manik Sarkar, the supreme powerful leader of CPI-M in Tripura since 1998.

In this connection we would like to present a statistical record before our readers and followers. Being a Special Category State Tripura got Rs 7411.50 crore from 13th Finance Commission(for the year 2010-2015)  compare to 12th Finance Commission's sanction of Rs 2626.09cr as part of its share of Central Tax. Thus, it is open to all that 13th Finance Commission has sanctioned 182% more than what the 12th Finance Commission did. Even in Non-plan fund 13th Finance Commission has given Tripura Rs 1263 crore compare to Rs 296 of the 12th Finance Commission an increase of 326%. Among the Special Category state that get share of Central Tax Tripura is in the 4th position is regard to fund sanction from 13th Commission. Moreover, as Gap Grant from 13th Commission Tripura got Rs 240.79 cr more (13th Finance Commission considered state'as own earning as Rs 4484.24 though state govt submitted the report saying the earning as Rs 4728.9Cr.

     Reacting to such deprivation of employees Secretary General of Employees Coordination Committee Ajay Biswas told TIWN Correspondent over phone," Actually the story began in 1999 under the leadership of Manik Sarkar. This Govt does not want meritorious youths to attract in Teaching profession. Over the years recruitment in Education Department is being done under the clear instruction of CPI(M) leaders. That's why though Left Trade Unions including CITU are making agitations across national level demanding higher pay scale to teachers , CPI(M) govt in Tripura is acting totally against it."

       Ajay Biswas made a crucial point in his statement saying ," The educational policy at the national and international level is to create more and more meritorious students under quality teachers. And if you don't give enough money to teachers meritorious youths won't come to this profession. Unfortunately Left Front Govt does not want merit in education sector. It is purely against the interests of the common mass."

 He said that H B Road employees are now completely oblivious of the fact as their main interests seem to see the interest of the party rather than interest of employees and work culture in govt

      On 31st March 2015 talking to the reporters  at the civil secretariat Chief Minister Manik Sarkar announced that the Govt has today decided to to allow modified revised pay structure including modified revised Pay Band and Grade Pay to its employees equivalent to 6th Central Pay Scale.

But Manik Sarkar so popularly termed as honest CM(!) by a his party and section of his puppet jurnos working in nations media deliberately lied with the people because the Grade Pay is far less in compare to 6th CPC.  Following stats will make this clear :-

1) A Primary Teacher/LDC/Work Assistant of Central Govt as per 6th CPC availed a Grade Pay of Rs 4200 but in Tripura employees serving in the same category still availing Grade Pay of Rs 2200 ( a clear difference of Rs 2000).

2) A Graduate Teacher availed a Grade Pay of Rs 4400 but in Tripura the employees of the same category are still getting Grade Pay of Rs 2800( a clear difference of Rs 1600)

3) A Post Graduate Teacher of Central Gov't availed a Grade Pay of Rs 4600 but in Tripura employees of the said category are still getting Grade Pay of Rs 4200( a gap of Rs 400). 

    Manik's deprivation policy never ends here. In the year 1998 Manik Sarkar became the Chief Minister of Tripura and soon after taking the chair of the Chief Minister Manik Sarkar led CPI(M) Govt in Tripura through a Cabinet resolution made Fixed Pay appointment a rule in Tripura. And since then the state govt has been adopting the same policy of appointment in various departments. But this kind of policy is quite contradictory to what the Communist party promotes. As per Rule 112 of the Constitution of Communist Party of India(Marxist) , appointment in Fixed Pay is nothing but a forcefully imposed exploitation upon the working class. Speaking on this issue Tripura Govt Employees Coordination Committee's Secretary General Ajay Biswas said," A Communist Govt cannot appoint unemployed in fixed pay because this will only strengthen the very foundation of the Capitalists. Only a Capitalist firm or Govt can impose such exploitation upon its employees. But unfortunately in Tripura, Manik Sarkar led CPI(M) Govt is now simply following the policy of the Capitalists. Thus, this govt cannot be called a Communist Govt. CPI(M) party made its impact in Tripura as a friend of the working class and the employees. But day by day , especially when Manik Sarkar became the Chief Minister, the same party has shifted from its ideology and now  it has turned to an enemy of the working class and employees," with these words Tripura State Employees' Coordination Committee Secretary General Ajay Biswas slammed the state govt for its anti-employee policy. In 1972 when CPI(M) was not at all excepted in the Bengali region , at that time state govt employees played a crucial role in strengthening the party's foot in the non tribal belt. Even the Congress minded employees too supported movement of the state govt employees. But as the influence of CPI(M) begins to grow , the party and also the LF Govt have become an enemy of the state govt employees. Ajay Biswas said that not only the employees are suffering but also the rickshaw pullers and small businessmen too are suffering. If the employees of the state would have got high pay structure, they would have definitely spent the money in the state markets and thus it would benefit the rickshaw pullers and small businessmen. 

   The fixed pay employees in their  tenure of five years as Fixed Pay is also being deprived of five yearly increments of @3% each. Moreover, during these five years term the fixed pay employees did not get the essential benefits like GPF, HRA, CA and even Medical Allowance. They can't even open their General Provident Fund Account as well.  Even more humiliating is that when the state govt releases Dearness Allowances to its employees , the fixed lay employees are given mere Rs 38/- per 1% DA( Group C) and Rs 23/- per 1% DA to the Group D employees.  Thus, it can be easily imagined that the fixed pay employees are now having a nightmare in Tripura.

      During the entire services life a state govt employee, who is appointed as Fixed Pay for five years( after which he gets regular pay scale) is suffering from huge financial loss for the Fixed Pay employees during their 5 years term  as shown in below:-

1) LDC/UGT/Work Assistant ..............Rs 39.75 lakh

2) Graduate Teacher ...........................Rs 52.5 lakh

3) Post Graduate Teacher ..................Rs 55 lakh .

        Speaking on this issue Ajay Biswas told this correspondent ," In 1982 the first LF Govt under Nripen Chakraborty appointed 200 teachers on fixed pay. Immediately I raised this issue in the state committee meeting( at that time Ajay Biswas was a party's Central Committee member) . But Nripenbabu and Co strongly supported the state govt's decision. Under compulsion I wrote to CPI(M) Central Committee. Getting this letter CPI(M) Central Committee leaders like Jyoti Basu and EMS Nambudripad instructed Nripen Chakraborty to immediately regularize the 200 employees appointed as fixed pay stating that such type of employment is against the Rule 112 of the Constitution of the Communist Party of India( Marxist) . Thus, with in two months of their recruitment Nripen Chakraborty was forced to regularize  them . After this during his entire tenure as Chief Minister Nripen Chakraborty and his LF Govt did not recruit any employee on fixed pay ( up to 1988). "

Unfortunately in the leadership of the so-called transparent (??) Chief Minister Manik Sarkar  has made this deprivation a permanent feature in Tripura. Once the former Finance Minister Badal Chowdhury too wanted to give Central Pay scale to  state employees. But because of Manik Sarkar's unwillingness Badal Chowdhudry failed to do so. And after Bhanulal Saha became the Finance Minister situation has even worsened. On Tuesday briefing the media Bhanulal tried to present him an an expert lawyer saying ," Giving the judgement High Court overlooked a point of gov't's decision. While it was said in 1998 that Central and state govt employees will get same percentage of DA but ' subject to the availability of fund. ' " However, Bhanulal failed to present any white paper regarding that 'subject to availability of fund' decision. Also Bhanulal could not make it clear how CM Manik told earlier that the difference of DA would be brought down to zero.

      A top level official in the state secretariat told TIWN on Wednesday night ," Actually state gov't has once again decided to deprive the employees like it did in 1996 and 2006 . Law Secretary and legal experts of the gov't were asked to find an way to delay the process and accordingly legal experts suggested  to go ahead in the apex court. The fact is that the matter won't be raised in the Supreme Court for hearing soon. Thus, once the state gov't challenges the HC verdict in SC it will provide the state gov't an opportunity to avoid the situation citing the matter to be a ' sub-juice  one'. "

     It is now clear to all that the state gov't is certain to deprive the employees in the matter of implementing the proposals of 7th CPC. Bhanulal himself said ," State gov't has not yet taken any decision regarding 7th CPC. We will look at the final decision taken by the Central govt regarding the same. Then we will decide . " To befool the employees Bhanulal once again uttered ," State gov't agrees that the demands of the employees are justified. But at present state gov't can't provide the Sam due to acute financial crisis. " From this statement it is clear that the fate of the employees in Tripura is bound to be paralysed under the honest(!!) CM Manik Sarkar and his trusted FM Bhanulal.