Agartala, March 18: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday cautioned that any abrupt rollback of the state’s ‘fixed pay’ employment system could impose an additional financial burden exceeding ₹4,000 crore, posing serious fiscal challenges.
Responding to a query raised by Tipra Motha Party MLA Paul Dhangshu in the Assembly on the regularisation of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers, the Chief Minister said that sudden policy changes could disrupt the state’s financial stability. He explained that the fixed pay system, introduced in 2001 and expanded in 2007, serves as a transitional phase before employees are brought under regular pay scales after five years of service.
During the discussion, Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury pressed the government to fulfil its electoral promise of granting regular pay scales to SSA and TET-qualified teachers. Congress MLA Gopal Roy also cited Assam as an example where SSA teachers have been regularised.
Dr. Saha informed the House that 113 SSA teachers had already been regularised after clearing the Teachers’ Eligibility Test conducted by the Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura. However, he noted that the broader issue remains pending before the Supreme Court of India. “We will take an appropriate decision after the apex court pronounces its judgment,” he said.
Highlighting fiscal concerns, the Chief Minister stated that nearly 40 percent of the state budget is currently spent on non-plan expenditure, which could rise to around 61 percent if all fixed pay employees are immediately shifted to regular scales.
A brief exchange also took place between the Chief Minister and the Opposition, with demands for immediate regularisation continuing. The government maintained that the matter would be examined in accordance with legal and financial considerations.
