People's Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) No. 47
December 01,2002
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) |
Vol.
XXVI No. 47 December 01,2002 |
CONCERNED for welfare of its employees and for more employment generation, the Left Front cabinet of Tripura took a number of vital decisions in its meeting held on November 17.
Briefing
the
press
about
the
cabinet
decisions
at
the
civil
secretariat
the
same
evening,
finance
minister
Badal
Choudhury
informed
that
the
state
government
employees
will
get,
from
January
2003,
an
additional
dearness
allowance
at
the
rate
of
6
per
cent
of
their
basic
pay.
As
for
employees
of
the
state
undertakings
and
other
autonomous
bodies,
they
will
get
it
at
the
rate
of
10
per
cent
of
basic
pay,
so
as
to
nutralise
the
4
per
cent
shortfall
vis-à-vis
government
employees.
Besides,
part
time
employees
as
well
as
contingent
and
daily-wage
workers,
home
guards,
etc,
will
have
a
wage
hike
of
Rs
4
per
day.
The
stipend
for
integrated
child
development
workers
will
be
increased
by
Rs
100
a
month,
and
for
helpers,
by
Rs
75
a
month.
These
hikes
will
cost
the
exchequer
Rs
50
crore
annually.
The
other
decisions
to
benefit
the
government
employees
are
that
the
stagnation
increments
they
are
already
receiving
after
reaching
the
final
point
of
the
pay
scale,
will
now
be
merged
with
their
pay.
Also,
it
is
the
total
sum
that
will
be
taken
into
account
for
promotion
and
computation
of
the
amount
of
pension.
The
reimbursement
for
medical
expense
will
be
made
at
the
existing
rate
even
if
a
government
employee
opts
for
treatment
in
hospitals
other
than
the
referral
ones.
Several
employees’
associations
of
Tripura
have
congratulated
the
Left
Front
government
on
its
bold
decisions
in
favour
of
employees.
The
decisions
came
at
a
time
when
tremendous
financial
constraints
and
the
centre’s
non-cooperation
have
put
the
state
in
a
tight
spot
and
when
several
state
governments
are
robbing
their
employees
of
their
hard-earned
benefits.
At
the
same
time,
the
Left
Front
government
is
leaving
no
stone
unturned
for
generation
of
jobs
in
rural
areas
of
the
state.
With
this
aim
in
view,
the
same
Left
Front
cabinet
meeting
decided
to
abolish
royalty
on
the
state’s
bamboo
products,
paving
the
way
for
creation
of
an
additional
4,000
man-days
everyday
at
the
least.
Elaborating
on
this
decision,
finance
minister
Badal
Choudhury
told
the
press
that
abolition
of
royalty
on
bamboo
products
like
mats
will
not
put
any
pressure
on
the
poor
sections
of
the
state’s
populace.
On
the
other
hand,
it
will
increase
the
importance
of
bamboo
among
the
rural
masses
and
lead
to
generation
of
more
employment
in
rural
Tripura.
As
for
export
of
bamboo
products
outside
the
state
including
foreign
countries,
the
state
government
has
selected
a
business
organisation
of
Meghalaya
and
it
will
be
allowed
bulk
purchase.
But
the
decision
has
left
the
door
open
for
other
such
organisations
as
may
come
forward
for
the
purpose.
Besides,
the
state
government
has
taken
an
initiative
to
train
the
state’s
craftsmen
in
producing
export-quality
bamboo
products.
The
decisions
are
in
tune
with
the
Left
Front
government’s
policy
of
developing
the
state’s
economy
on
the
basis
of
its
own
natural
resources.
(INN)
