IMPHAL: Taking serious note of the ongoing state government employees' strike demanding implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, chief minister N Biren Singh has warned that the "no work, no pay" rule will be imposed on the workers if they do not withdraw their protest. He added that the government will engage other competent persons to complete the work left pending due to the ongoing strike.On the sidelines of the 'Meeyamgi Numit' (Peoples' Day) and 'Hill Leaders' Day' held at his secretariat on Monday, Biren told reporters that his government has no intention of going into a direct confrontation with any individual or organization, but wants to resolve all the issues through talks. He, however, cautioned that since he had made an earnest appeal to the workers to resume duty on Monday, the government will now be compelled to impose the 'no work, no pay' rule against the employees.Deputy chief minister Yumnam Joykumar , who also holds the finance portfolio, had also said on Sunday that the rule will be imposed on the workers if they do not resume work by Monday.Biren added that the government has authorized the administrative secretaries to hire competent persons to complete the pending work by the end of the financial year if the workers refuse to listen to his appeal. This decision was taken at a meeting between the administrative secretaries and head of the department on March 23. Biren added that his government was also seriously considering penalising government employees, shop owners and transporters, who do not attend office or suspend service during bandhs.Meanwhile, sources said the state government has, during meetings with the council and representatives of another state government employees' body, already agreed in principle to implement the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. The government employees, under the aegis of the Joint Administrative Council of All Manipur Trade Unions' Council and All Manipur Government Employees' Organisation, have been protesting from March 22, asking the government to implement the recommendations.As of now, there are 98,845 regular employees and 45,523 pensioners in the state and if the state government implements the latest pay structure, the state exchequer will incur an additional financial expenditure of around Rs. 1,400 crore per annum, official sources said.

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