Imphal, April 22: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday said that the state government had agreed "in principle" to give enhanced salaries to its employees as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations.
However, he added, the government is seeking some time so that a committee formed in this connection could work out the modalities of the payment of increased salaries.
He made the announcement during a BJP executive meeting here.
The state government employees, numbering about 100,000, have been on strike to demand higher pay scales.
Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar, who holds the finance portfolio, had said that it was not possible to implement the pay commission recommendations since it involved an additional Rs 1,600 crore expenditure per annum.
Biren had said in the recent past that Manipur depended on the Centre's largesse and it would be almost impossible to arrange the additional money required.
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Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Police on Monday said it has arrested two shooters and five other accused in the murder case of an AAP sarpanch who was killed at a wedding in Amritsar on January 4.
The two shooters -- Sukhraj Singh alias Ganga from Patti in Tarn Taran district and Karamjit Singh from Gurdaspur district -- were arrested from Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Sunday in coordination with the local police and central agencies, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav told reporters here.
The two were produced before a court in Raipur and taken into custody after obtaining transit remand. They are being brought to Amritsar for further investigation, he said.
The other five arrested accused, who were part of the support and logistical module, were arrested from Punjab, the DGP said.
Jharmal Singh, sarpanch of Valthoa village in Tarn Taran, was shot dead at the wedding at point-blank range.
CCTV footage showed the two shooters walking into the wedding venue, one of them pulling out a gun and firing at Singh's head before fleeing the spot. Singh was rushed to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Soon after the incident, the AAP government drew flak from the opposition over alleged deteriorating law and order in Punjab, with the BJP demanding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's resignation.
