The State Cabinet’s decision of adjusting the Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam limited (UPNl) workers into departmental contract has failed to break ice with the agitating association of UPNl workers. These workers are peeved at the eight-year clause of service in UPNl for the benefit and want the state government to reduce it. The cabinet’s decision has also created schism within the association as some of these workers want that the agitation should be stopped as the government has accepted the major demand of departmental contract. The state President of the association, Bhavesh Jaguri said that the government would be requested to reduce the eight year clause so that more and more workers are brought under the ambit of the benefit. He said that the fact that the government took a major deviation of earlier stand of granting bonus marks to the UPNl workers in permanent recruitment is a victory of the workers. Jaguri said that pressure would now be exerted on the Government to reduce the time period of eight years mentioned in the cabinet decision. He claimed that former Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari is expected to visit Dehradun on Thursday and in all probability he would request the Chief Minister Harish Rawat to grant a further reprieve in the eight year clause.
There are more than 18000 UPNl workers in different departments of state government. The UPNl is a service provider to the state government departments and there are procedural hassles in adjusting them in the departments they are working.