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Zila parishad staffers continue ‘pen-down’ strike in Himachal
Rural development minister Anirudh Singh asserted that the principle of “no work, no pay” will continue to apply until they return to work
Over 4,700 employees of the zila parishad employees in Himachal continued their “pen-down” strike on Friday even as the state government continued to toughen its stance against the staffers. They have been on a strike for 21 days, demanding revised pay-scales, dearness allowance and arrears.
The Congress leaders, who justified the demands of the zila parishad cadre while in the opposition, are now criticising them besides not meeting their demands.
When the zila parishad cadre employees went strike during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had said that the sixth pay commission was their right. If the Jai Ram government does not fulfil this demand, then it would be done on the first day when the Congress came to power, he had said.
Far from fulfilling their demands, they have been asked to start the process of terminating the services of 167 junior engineers (JE) of zila parishad, who are peacefully striking, said former panchayati raj minister Virendra Kanwar, calling it a “Tughlaqi decree” of the Sukhu government.
Due to the strike, works in 3,615 panchayats are being affected, including birth and death certificates, issung below poverty line certificates, marriage registration, evaluation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) work and payment of daily wages.
District Council Employees Union president Rajesh Thakur said that the government can adopt whatever tactics it wants, but the employees will remain on strike until their demands are met.
No work, no pay: minister Anirudh Singh
The Himachal Pradesh government has adopted a stringent approach towards the employees on strike as rural development minister Anirudh Singh asserted that the principle of “no work, no pay” will continue to apply until they return to work.
Minister Singh added that the employees engaged in the strike appear to be under the influence of the Bharatiya Janata Party, causing them to misunderstand the situation. Consequently, the government found it necessary to take a decisive step.The government recently made the decision to terminate the employment of 167 junior engineers, a directive that the department has been directed to carry out.
He highlighted the challenging circumstances faced by the state, which has endured a disaster and is grappling with limited financial resources. In such a dire situation, Singh urged the employees to recognise their crucial role in the field. He asked them not to resort to strikes but understand the gravity of the situation so that essential services can be provided to the public, emphasising that rural development hinges on the effectiveness of panchayats.
The minister said that development work under MGNREGA in the villages has come to a standstill, despite the allocation of ₹1,085 crore for the programme. The government has been appealing to the striking employees to heed their advice. He assured that the government had already conceded to their first demand by converting these employees into the state cadre and that further negotiations were underway within the cabinet.
