Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Tuesday said that the state government has not yet arrived at any decision regarding the recent Tripura High Court verdict which termed the five-year fixed tenure pay system in government jobs as unconstitutional and directed the state to grant regular pay scale benefits to employees from the date of their joining.
Responding to media queries, Dr Saha stated that the matter is currently under discussion at appropriate levels of the government. “We are holding consultations with ministers and senior officers to decide our future course of action. At this moment, no final decision has been taken,” he said.
Clarifying the state government’s position, the Chief Minister pointed out that the present dispensation did not introduce the fixed pay system. “This system has both advantages and disadvantages. It was implemented by the previous government, and such decisions are never taken without certain compulsions or justifications,” he remarked, indicating that the issue needs to be examined in its entirety before any step is taken.
When asked whether the government is considering filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict, Dr Saha said that the matter is still under consideration and no decision has been finalized in this regard.
Addressing the demands raised by SSA teachers seeking withdrawal of the SLP filed earlier by the Tripura government, the Chief Minister described the issue as sensitive and complex. “These are critical matters. No unilateral or hasty decision can resolve them. Tripura, like many other states, faces chronic resource constraints. Any sudden decision without proper assessment could prove detrimental to the state’s financial stability,” he said.
Dr Saha added that while the government is sensitive to the concerns of employees, it must also ensure fiscal sustainability. “The government also has to survive and function responsibly,” he noted.
The Chief Minister’s remarks came in the backdrop of a recent division bench verdict of the Tripura High Court, which struck down the fixed pay system for the initial five years of service and directed the state government to pay arrears to the petitioners within a stipulated timeframe.
