Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday said the state government has not yet taken any decision on the recent Tripura High Court verdict that struck down the five-year fixed pay system in government jobs and directed the grant of regular pay scales from the date of appointment.
Responding to queries, Saha said the matter was under active consideration and discussions were being held at various levels of the government.
He added that consultations were underway with ministers and senior officers to decide the future course of action.
“These issues are being discussed at the appropriate level. We did not introduce the fixed pay system. It has its advantages and disadvantages, and such policies are not adopted without reasons. There must have been some justification behind the decision taken by the previous government,” the chief minister said.
Asked whether the state was considering filing a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the High Court order, Saha said no decision had been taken so far.
On the demand by SSA teachers for the withdrawal of the SLP already filed by the state government in a related matter, the chief minister said the issue was complex and could not be resolved through unilateral decisions.
“These are very critical issues. States like ours face chronic resource constraints. Any hasty or unilateral decision may prove detrimental. The government also has to ensure its own sustainability,” he said.
The Tripura High Court division bench had recently held the practice of appointing government employees on fixed pay for the first five years as unconstitutional and directed the state to extend regular pay scale benefits from the date of joining.
The court also asked the government to clear arrears payable to the petitioners within a stipulated period.