The rate at which the number of motor vehicles is growing in Manipur, in particular Imphal, is nothing short of phenomenal. This is despite the fact that Manipur`™s economy continues to totter, unable to stand on its own legs without liberal grants and loans from the Central government`™s exchequer. Manipur`™s GDP continues to grow, but revenue generated by its own enterprises would account for only a small percentage of this growth. A major part of this growth is in every sense a reflection of the halo of the larger Indian economy, which though not where it could and should be, is still robust. This paradoxical scenario of an economy growing though its fundamentals remain flimsy, can be gauged from a comparison of salaries in the government cocoon and those in the open market. The disparity is not only stark, but widening still. Even amongst government jobs, there is now a wide disparity between employees under the State government and those under the umbrage of the Central government. But this disparity between State and Central government employees, though unfortunate, is still no cause for extreme alarm. This is because the floor is high enough, and the low salaries are low only in comparison, but not absolutely. Even Grade 4 employees in government services, earn respectable salaries, enough to afford the dignity of a reasonably secure life, these days. What these Grade 4 employees earn is however more than what many so called high profile employees of private enterprises earn.
This is disgraceful, but the truth is, the salary standards in the State`™s private sector reflect the real worth of the economy of the place, and left on its own, and if it were to pay from what it earns only, there can be no doubt even the State government would not be able to afford much more for its employees. Maybe it would be even worse. Employees of government institutions, be it in the education or other service sectors, which have failed miserably to produce results still get substantially more than employees in the private sector who sweat it out several times more and in fact produce much better results. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the education sector. Manipur schools standards today would rank high even by the national standard, and this is on account of private schools. Government schools we all know are in the pit, many of them beyond salvation, yet, what employees in private schools get would be only a fraction of what the non performers in government schools get. Unfortunately, the State still does not have private colleges, and therefore, students with academic ambitions and means to afford seeking it outside the State, rush away. This ought to have been shame for all leaders and foot soldiers of this sector. We do hope the scenario changes and competition from private enterprises become a reality, and as in school education, there is a rise in commitment level.
It cannot augur well for the State such a disparity exists with nobody doing anything to make the necessary changes. The government better take note of this. Generating jobs must not be about recruiting more in the police forces, or creating more government departments even where there are no needs for them. It must instead come out with a clear policy to make the State`™s economy self generating, and this can only be ensured if the job sector outside the government`™s own gets healthy and expands to not only absorb more and more job seekers, but give them dignified alternatives to government jobs. With the presentation day of the National Budget approaching, and with it the State`™s own budget, this is a reminder and plea to the State government to keep this caution in mind. Besides preparing to meet immediate contingencies, the budget should also reflect longer term visions to tackle problems such as this widening gulf in salary standards. As they say, necessity knows no law, and if the means are not made available, simply announcing minimum wage standards will not get anybody anywhere. Let the government facilitate these means and then strictly enforce minimum wage standard by law, for corruption being what it is, private business owners too can fatten by pocketing what are meant for their employees.
Leader Writer: Pradip Phanjoubam