Opposition shrugs off Mayawati's move over Pay Commission

Lucknow, Aug 18 (UNI) Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh have tried to play down Mayawati Government's move to implement recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission for the state government employees from December this year.

BJP termed the move as a 'political stunt' of the BSP government just as done by the UPA government at the Centre, the Congress and Samajwadi Party said there was nothing new in it.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav refused to comment on the issue saying there was nothing new in it.

''Every government implements the Pay Commission report as I did in the past'', he said.

Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari said in 1988 the then Congress government of the UP led by N D Tiwari had decided that the state would implement the Central Pay Commission report in the state regularly.

''Implementation of the Pay Commission report was mandatory for the state government'', he said but questioned why the BSP government did not say anything about raising the retirement age of the employees to 62 years.

Meanwhile, BJP Legislature Party leader Om Prakash Singh said the implementation of the report was only done in view of the coming Lok Sabha polls.

''Both the Centre and the state government had announced to implement the Pay Commission report to woo the people facing the price hike before the Lok Sabha polls'', he said.

Earlier, Ms Mayawati had announced to implement the 6th Pay Commission report for the state employees from January 2006.

UNI MB PDM SK AS1749