MUMBAI, Sept 28: Apprehending stern disciplinary action against state government employees who held demonstrations inside Mantralaya on Thursday and Friday, their leaders Shailaja Gharat and Shekhar Dhawale today tendered an unconditional apology to the government, while Chief Minister Manohar Joshi expressed strong displeasure over the employees' misbehaviour.Condemning their behaviour, Joshi said it was unfortunate that they went on the rampage despite the fact that his government was seized of their demand for a hike in wages following recommendations made by the Fifth Pay Commission.``We are determined to implement the pay commission recommendations before Diwali, but we'll have to follow the laid-down procedure, which is causing delay in decision-making. In the first Cabinet meeting in October, a final decision will be taken,'' he said.When government employees were expected to behave more responsibly, Joshi said, they were resorting to violence and denouncing the government on the basis of anincorrect media report. Following the report in a section of the media, the employees had staged a dharna and in the subsequent melee, glass panes near the CM's sixth-floor chamber were damaged.``Had they called on me instead of resorting to violence inside Mantralaya, I would have explained the entire situation,'' Joshi added.Replying to a question, Joshi said so far as the question of disciplinary action against erring employees was concerned, he had asked chief secretary P Subramanian to look into it.Meanwhile, Gharat and Dhawale today declared that a joint organisation of officers and employees - the Maharashtra Mantralaya Gazetted Officers and Non-Gazetted Employees Mahasangh - is being formed to protect the interest of employees. ``Since Minister of State for General Administration Prabhakar More has given us a specific assurance, we are tendering an unconditional apology for the incidents of Thursday and Friday,'' they said in a statement.Gharat and Dhawale also asked all employees tosubmit apology letters to facilitate negotiations in a cordial atmosphere. They have also asked the government to take a final decision before Diwali.Gharat and Dhawale today called on More to explain that last week's demonstrations were spontaneous, and no recognised organisation or union had given a call for the same.While More assured the delegation the pay commission's recommendations will be placed before the Cabinet on October 6 and a decision will be taken before Diwali, the Minister indicated the government won't hesitate to take stern disciplinary action against erring employees.More's threat assumes significance since the government has taken a video film of the entire episode and is in the process of identifying erring employees.According to a senior official of the finance department, though Joshi has declared the recommendations will be implemented before Diwali, it will be a difficult task for the alliance government in view of the on-going financial crisis. ``The government willhave to make a provision of at least Rs 10,000 crore - Rs 5,000 crore towards the hike and an equal amount towards arrears - though it has made a budgetary provision of less than Rs 5,000 crore in the budget,'' the official said.At a recently held meeting convened by the Finance Minister and also during the meeting of the Planning Commission, the alliance government had urged the Centre to share 50 per cent of the cost owing to hike in salaries of its 19 lakh employees.
