Delhi govt threatens to sack agitating contractual employees

, Jan 29: The Delhi government today threatened to sack agitating contractual employees, including DTC workers and guest teachers who have been sitting on dharna demanding regularisation of their services.

Asking the agitating employees to immediately return to their work, Education and PWD Minister Manish Sisodia said their strike has severely effected various public services and government would not hesitate to take strong punitive action if they do not end their protest.

"The government will have no option but to sack those teachers and bus drivers who have been sitting on strike. Exams are round the corner and students' future is at stake. So we request the teachers to go back to schools," he said.

Sisodia said there was no justification for the strike by the contractual employees as the government has already appointed a high-level committee to recommend policy guidelines to regularise their services. A group of guest teachers have been sitting on an indefinite strike in front of Delhi Secretariat since January 15, while another group of teachers started hunger strike from January 27 demanding regularisation of their services.

In addition to them, over 2,000 contractual DTC employees including bus drivers and conductors have been on strike also demanding permanent jobs. The strike by the DTC drivers and conductors have affected DTC bus services. Sisodia said the government would soon write to the agitating employees asking them to resume their work and if they do not heed to it, then punitive action would be taken.

"The government cannot let people suffer. The government will appoint new employees if the agitating employees do not return to their work," said Sisodia. Sisodia further said the government could not bypass laid "down processes" and offer permanent jobs to agitating employees.

The government has already set up a committee to formulate policy on regularising services of over one lakh contractual employees working in various departments and agencies. The government also decided not to remove any temporary employees till the process of recruitment, based on new criteria to be finalised by the committee is not completed.

The 13-member committee is being headed by Chief Secretary Srivastava and comprises two retired IAS officers, Prakash Chandra and Prafful Karketa, besides secretaries of finance, law and urban development departments.

PTI