Patna, Jan 07: Ignoring the state government's
warning of 'no work, no pay', nearly three lakh Bihar
government employees launched an indefinite strike from Wednesday
seeking total implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission
recommendations.
General Secretary of Bihar State Non-Gazetted
Employees Federation (BSNGEF) Manjul Kumar Das claimed that
functioning of the government, from the block to the
secretariat levels, had come to a standstill due to the
strike.
Nearly three lakh employees owing allegiance to Bihar
Secretariat Services Association (BSSA) and Bihar State
Non-gazetted Employees Federation (Gope) faction went on
strike as they felt "cheated" by the offer made by deputy
Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, he said.
"We want payment of arrears according to the Sixth Pay
Commission recommendations from January 1, 2006 and we will
not accept anything less than that," Das said.
The government offer to pay the arrears with effect
from April 1, 2007 was not acceptable to them, he said.
The government, on the other hand, claimed that
functioning of the secretariat was normal as officials and
other employees had reported for duty.
"There is no adverse impact of the strike and the
secretariat's functioning is nearly normal as necessary
work is being done," principal secretary, personnel, Amir
Subhani said.
Subhani told reporters that the employees who were willing
to work would be given protection and those on strike would
not be allowed to forcibly prevent others from working.
"Anybody found doing so will be dealt with sternly
through departmental and legal actions," he said.
The general secretaries of BSSA and BSNGEF (Gope)
faction Anil Kumar Singh and Rambali Prasad Singh said "We
have rejected the proposal of the deputy chief minister that
the state government was agreeable to implementation of
national pay in accordance with the recommendations of the
Sixth Pay Commission from January 2006 but the actual benefits
would accrue to the state employees only after the
recommendation of the pay committee constituted by the state
government to look into the matter is received".
They claimed that other factions including SC/ST
Employees Association, Engineering Services Coordination
Committee and Bihar Engineering Services Association would
also join the agitation soon.
Meanwhile, in a strict warning to the agitating
employees, the Bihar government has issued an order to
implement the 'no work, no pay' policy.
In a letter, principal finance secretary Navin Kumar
has asked all departmental heads and district magistrates to
strictly implement the order.
He said that those proceeding on strike would not be
entitled to interim arrears and revised pay-scale.
Bureau Report