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| Cabinet Sub Committee meeting held | | Govt to hold talks with employees' leaders tomorrow | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 27: A day after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Delhi, the Cabinet Sub Committee which has been constituted to look into the employees' issue in the wake of their recent strike in support of demands, convened a meeting here today. In the meeting held under the chairmanship of Omar Abdullah it was decided to hold meeting with leaders of employees' organizations and unions before Durbaar shifts back to summer capital. Most likely the meeting will take place on April 29.
Even as the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is not a member of the five member Cabinet sub committee, his presence in the meeting held in his office chambers this evening assumes significance, particularly in the wake of his meeting with Union Minister in the capital on Monday. Though the Centre has not yet made any commitment on making funds available for the purpose of settling demands of state government employees, well placed sources said the meeting discussed the issues related to employees threadbare afresh and decided to 'listen' to the employees' leaders in changed circumstances after imposition of ESMA following which the employees withdrew strike and resumed work.
"We have decided to listen to what the leaders of various organizations have to say…….there is no change in the government stand but since these leaders are keen on talking to government in the aftermath of the strike and some developments, we are ready to hold negotiations……the government too is sincere in settling their demands at the earliest but this is again subject to availability of funds for the purpose", said a senior cabinet minister, one of the members of this sub committee. The five members of the cabinet sub committee include Finance Minister AR Rather, Law Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, PHE and Irrigation Minister Taj Mohi-u-Din, Industries Minister SS Salathia and Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed.
The government's stand over the issue right from day one has been that they cannot pay arrears to the employees, the main demand for which employees have been agitating, unless and until the money is available to them. It is pertinent to mention that employees have been demanding release of arrears wef April 2006 following sixth pay revision, for which the government has already made commitment. However, since it involves a huge financial implication for the government to the tune of over Rs 4000 cr, the NC- Congress coalition government has virtually refused to move a step forward contending it cannot pay this amount on its own or out of its own resources.
It is in the context of this helplessness the Chief Minister has approached centre afresh seeking special and separate aid to settle the issue of employees once for all. Even though the timing for holding meeting of cabinet sub committee assumes significance, sources said the government has also decided to hold talks with the employees this week in view of the repeated statements of the employees' leaders that they withdrew the strike and resumed duties after remaining on strike for nearly two weeks in recent past over the assurance given by the Chief Minister that would hold talks with them. Sources also added that government doesn't want to go back to summer capital with the 'baggage' of this issue, though at this stage it is really not in a position to make any new commitment which can possibly convince the employees.
"After we hold proposed talks with employees' leaders, the government is prepared to make a new roadmap as to how it can go about settlement of all pending issues apart of release of arrears ……..this roadmap certainly has to be prepared in conformity with what these leaders have to say now in the present context and situation when ESMA still stands imposed", said another member of the committee wishing anonymity.
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