Shillong, July 9: Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang will leave for Delhi on Tuesday to seek funds for the implementation of the recommendation of the Fourth Pay Commission.
Accompanied by senior cabinet colleagues, Lapang will also ask for central funds worth several crore for upgrade of the Umroi airport, construction of railway lines and improvement of healthcare in Meghalaya.
After a meeting with senior cabinet ministers and officials, Lapang today told the media that the state government would ask for a one-time grant of Rs 562 crore to implement the recommendation of the fourth pay panel from this year.
The Fourth Pay Commission submitted the report to the government at the end of last year.
This year an empowered committee was formed to examine the percentage of pay hike according to the pay panel’s report.
According to the committee, at least Rs 500 crore a year is needed for full implementation of the recommendation of the pay commission.
After receiving the recommendations of the pay panel, the state cabinet decided to provide interim relief of 10 per cent of basic pay, including dearness allowance, subject to the minimum of Rs 400 per month with effect from December last year, to all government employees.
The financial burden of the state for the interim relief is Rs 7.7 crore per month.
Lapang said that the government hoped to implement the pay commission recommendation once the Centre sanctions Rs 562 crore.
“If possible, we will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urge him to provide funds so that the government employees in the state can get the pay hike this year itself,” Lapang said.
The memorandum, to be submitted to the Prime Minster, will also include a request for Rs 240 crore for the expansion of the runway of the Umroi air port.
At present only a 50-seater aircraft can land at the airport as the runway is small.
The state government wanted to expand the runway by acquiring more land so that big aircraft could also land at the airport, the chief minister explained.