Rajasthan strike creates record

JAIPUR, JANUARY 30: Despite Rajasthan government's hardened stance which included the invoking of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (...

JAIPUR, JANUARY 30: Despite Rajasthan government’s hardened stance which included the invoking of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), dismissal of about three dozen and arrest of more than 2000 agitating employees, the strike by government employees in the state entered its 47th day, which is a record.

Earlier, the longest period for which the Rajasthan government employees had struck work was 46 days in the year 1989. The ongoing state employees agitation was launched on December 15, 1999, to press their five-point charter of demands, including bonus and enhanced dearness allowance. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of three federations spearheading the employees’ strike announced the intensification of their stir by launching `jail bharo’ agitation from Monday.

The employees will also hold demonstrations against the Chief Minister and Governor and hand over a memorandum on Sunday to register their protest against the government’s “oppressive measures”. Thereafter, about 2000 employees willcourt arrest under the `do or die policy’, the committee added.

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The state government succeeded in conducting the first phase of the panchayat raj institutions election yesterday, despite the ongoing strike, according to an official spokesman here. Another round of this phase polling was slated for Monday, for which all arrangement have already been made, he added.

The Rajasthan unit of the National Platform of Mass Organisations (NPMO), constituting various unions including BMS, CITU, AITUC and HMS, urged Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to resolve the problem amicably.

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