The Congress-led State Government has failed to pacify the protesters of the State Employees’ Joint Council Uttarakhand (SEJCU), whose protest entered its fourteenth day on Wednesday. They had marathon meeting with Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna but could not reach to any conclusion due to tough stand of employee union.
The State employees of different departments said that they are mainly pressurising the Government to meet their three topmost demands from the total of 23 demands. As many as 215 associations of various Government departments including Subordinate Agriculture Services, lab technicians, pharmacists, horticulture, sericulture, Public Works Department, Irrigation and many other department employees are sitting on an indefinite strike.
The protesters said that the demands of the State employees especially the field employees are being consistently ignored by the Government.
“We hardly get any promotions during our entire service period. I have completed 16 years in service and have not received even a single promotion during this time period. We are demanding at least three promotions during our entire service period,” said Rakesh Prasad Mamgai, Survey Ameen of Horticulture Department.
Agriculture department assistant, MS Pundir revealed that the second most important demand of the field employees is to provide travelling allowances (TA) of upto Rs 1,200 to the employees. He added,” I have been working at the same post for the last 30 years and have not received a single promotion in these three decades,” said Pundir. The protesters said that the essential services in all the departments would be hampered in the State till their demands are met.
Notably, the SEJCU employees have been protesting since October 17 in support of their demands including removal of pay anomalies among State Government employees, timely promotions, fixing the age limit for State employees at 62 years and many others. They have also threatened to continue their protest as long as their demands are not met with.