Guwahati, Nov. 18: The 7th Assam Pay Commission submitted its report to the state government this evening. The government is likely to implement the report from April next year.

The report was submitted a day ahead of byelections in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha and Baithalangso Assembly seats.

Commission chairman P.P. Verma, a former chief secretary, submitted the report to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal at his office chamber in Dispur. Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other senior officials of the finance department were present.

The five-member commission was formed on June 2 last year and was supposed to submit the report in August. The other members are Kameswar Laskar, a retired judicial services official, chief secretary V.K. Pipersenia, economist and former Cotton College principal Dilip Barua and finance commissioner Simanta Thakuria.

The commission members and Sarma were tight-lipped about the suggestions given in the report owing to the code of conduct being in force for tomorrow's bypolls.

Sarma said after the poll code ends, the report will be made available in the government website. "Because of the code of conduct we cannot disclose the report. As soon as it ends, the cabinet and the finance department will discuss it and make it available with the permission of the chief minister."

He said the name of the commission is "pay and productive commission".

Sarma added: "The commission has dealt with salaries of employees as well as their productivity. It has given numerous recommendations. The members held discussions with 196 associations of government employees and around 50 individuals submitted their memorandum to the commission. It also took the opinion of different departments. We are hopeful of implementing the report from April 2017."

The minister said the finance department after reviewing the report will submit it to Sonowal by November 25.

All Assam Employees' Union president Basab Kalita said when they had met the commission members earlier, they had assured that concerns will be addressed. "They assured us that the loopholes in the earlier pay commission will be plugged. We hope the report will bring good news to the state government employees," said Kalita.

He appealed to the state government to implement the commission with effect from January 2016.