Agartala: Ahead of the assembly elections due in February next, Tripura’s Left Front government decided to increase salaries of its 2.09 lakh employees and pensioners in line with the sixth central pay commission.

Announcing the hike, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said the state government reviewed its position and considered to allow the benefit of the re-fixation of pay and pension of the state government employees and pensioners using 1.86 multiplication factors notionally from January 2006 and with financial benefit from January 1 this year.

Sarkar said before announcing the pay hike for the employees and pensioners, the state government reviewed its funds position and found that it was considerably consolidated by using austerity in the administration and collection of taxes, particularly sale taxes of commodities. (PTI)