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| Government principally agrees to enhance retirement age by one year | | | Bashir Assad
srinagar,May 26: Jammu and Kashmir Government has in principal decided to enhance the retirement age of its employees by one year from present 58 to 59 years, meanwhile heavy contingent of Jammu and Kashmir police deployed in and around Press Enclave in Srinagar overpowered hundreds of agitating State Government employees who were scheduled to march towards Raj Bhavan to press for their demands. Sources within the Government said that formal announcement to this effect will be made shortly in consultation with the employees bodies, in the meantime, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, Chief Secretary Madhav Lal, Principal Secretary Finance Department M Iqbal Khanday and Secretary General Administration Department Mushtaq Ahmad, according to the sources have contacted Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) of employees who have been formally invited for negotiations, however, dates for negotiations have not been fixed as yet as the Government is waiting for response from the employees leaders who alleged that Government was not serious to fulfil the promises made to them from time to time. Source said that Omar Abdullah led Government could not afford to drag the issue of retirement age anymore as the employees have made their intentions clear to take the Government head-on which could even culminate in a massive outpouring as around 4.5 lakh employees are up in arms against the Government.
Meanwhile On day-3, the striking State Government employees Saturday tried to march towards Raj Bhavan at picturesque Chashmah Shahi to present a memorandum to the governor NN Vohra, J&K police, however, foiled the march and dispersed hundreds of employees by mild cane charging.
Police took dozens of striking employees to preventive custody while as the prominent employees leaders were taken into custody during nocturnal raids by the police force.
"They have been taken into preventive custody as section 144 of the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) is in force in the city which bars an assembly of five or more persons," a police officer said.
The employees are on a three-day strike to press for their demands which include enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60, regular employment to daily wagers and adhoc/contractual appointees and removal of anomalies in the pay structures.
The employees had planned to take out a protest march from the Press Enclave to Raj Bhavan Saturday.
Due to the strike, work in Government offices and schools across the Kashmir valley remained paralysed for the third consecutive day with employees and teachers staying away from work.
Employees running essential services such as hospitals, and supplies of electricity and drinking water have been exempted from the strike. Work in the civil secretariat, however, was normal since the secretariat employees' union did not take part in the strike.
The employees also observed two-day strike on May 8 and 9, a day after the Civil Secretariat, seat of the Government, reopened in summer capital after functioning from winter capital, Jammu for six winter months in support of their demands. The Government educational institutions also wore a deserted look as students and teaching staff stayed away. However, private institutions were working normally. The employees are demanding among other things, payments of arrears of 6th pay commission, regularization of daily wagers, contract and anganwari workers and ad hoc employees. They are also demanding increase in the retirement age to 60 years. |
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