State govt employees' strike enters 37th day

Imphal, May 26 (UNI) The state government employees have rejected Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh's appeal to call off the indefinite cease work which entered 37th day today.

The Joint Administrative Council (JAC) of All Manipur Government Employees Organisation and All Manipur Trade Union Congress had launched an indefinite strike demanding hike in pay and rectification of pay anomalies. The JAC has also demanded retirement age be fixed at 60 instead of 58 and regularisation of adhoc employees.

The state government has threatened to take up action against the employees for violating the Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1984 (ESMA).

The JAC said in a statement that it will continue the stir until all the demands were met. Meanwhile, the OPDs and the emergency services at government hospitals were closed down and large number of patients were compelled to go to private hospitals and Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for treatment.

RIMS official said they were unable to provide pulse polio immunization vaccines to children, owing to the strike.

So far, the Public Health Engineering Department has not yet stopped supply of water, though it threatened to join the stir.

The Chief Minister had appealed to all the state government employees to call off the strike in the interest of the people.

Mr Singh had informed that the employees were demanding 71 per cent DA enjoyed by the central government employees while they were given 59 per cent.

If the state government concedes to the demands, an additional Rs 6.90 crores will be incurred every month, Mr Singh added. He assured the employees of carrying out rectification of pay anomaly.

Referring to the demand to appoint the adhoc employees as regular ones, he said there was a directive from the Supreme Court and the government cannot act on the matter on its own.

The JAC said all the government departments will join the agitation and urged the employees not to be unfazed by any assurances made at a personal level by the senior government officials.

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