AGARTALA, March 3 � Tripura Finance Minister Bhaul Lal Saha today made it clear that the State government would offer pay structure to the State government employees as per the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission if adequate fund is available.
Replying to a written question by Congress MLA Gopal Chandra Roy, the Minister informed the House that giving pay scales to the State government employees depends on the recommendations of the XIV Finance Commission.
�As of now, the government is not in a position to introduce the 6th CPC for the State government employees. If the government receives fund in accordance with the demand, we will introduce the 6th CPC recommendations for the employees,� he said.
However, Opposition leader Sudip Roy Barman was unhappy over the Minister�s statement on the issue. He said, �The State would receive Rs 25,000 crore under the Central Tax Head, besides a hefty amount under gap grant during the XIV Finance Commission period. So why is the government reluctant to accept the 6th CPC recommendations for the interest of State government employees?�
In reply, the Minister said, �The State government requires additional fund of Rs 1,800 crore to introduce the 6th CPC recommendations for the government employees. Currently, the State spends Rs 2,597 crore annually to meet the expenditure for salary and pension.�
Saying that the State government is not against giving Central pay scales to the State government employees, Saha said, as of now the government does not have that much resource to offer Central pay structure to the State employees.
The Minister later said the share of Central tax has been increased substantially � from Rs 7,411.89 crore (XIII Finance Commission) to Rs 25,396 crore (XIV Finance Commission). Likewise, the State would receive Rs 5,104 crore (XIV Finance Commission) as non-Plan revenue deficit (gap grants). It was Rs 4,463 crore during the XIII Finance Commission tenure.
�Though the State is supposed to receive Rs 31,308 crore under three major heads � share of Central tax, gap grant and other grants during the XIV Finance Commission period � we will face trouble to manage other expenditure because the XIV Finance Commission changed the sharing pattern of various Centrally-sponsored schemes,� he clarified.
Giving instance on the burden on the States, he said the XIV Finance Commission has prescribed different sharing pattern to 13 Central government-sponsored schemes, including ICDS. It means, the States will have to pump in money from their budgetary outlay.
Besides, the State had received Rs 2,597 crore from the Planning Commission last year, but this has been abolished to pave the way for NITI Aayog. �It is not confirmed as yet from where Plan money will be given to the States,� he added.
