Reviewing officers (RO), who have been sitting on relay fast for the past 12 days, blocked the entrance of the Chief Minister's office on Friday.
They shouted slogans against the State Government and officers as well. By doing this, they have disturbed the atmosphere of the Secretariat and Secretariat Administration (SAD) officials watched all this activity as mere spectators. Interestingly, SAD has deployed police to check any untoward incident for the last one week but police personnel were watching all this as onlooker. On condition of anonymity, an officer said that they are trying to create unruly scene in the Secretariat, where policy being made for the state and district administration is bound to follow it, so there is a need to send strong message otherwise situation may go worse in coming days.
The way they are staging protest has invited official anger. They kept shouting slogans against the State Government and Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain. Besides it, they also shouted slogan in support of Principal Secretary Industry, Rakesh Sharma. Talking to The Pioneer, a senior officer said that by raising slogans against the Chief Secretary and support of a Principal Secretary, they are creating problem for themselves. Despite knowing the fact that state is facing model code of conduct they are intensifying their protest day by day as if they don't bother for anything. The officer further said the State Government always adopts serious attitude to suppress the agitation by issuing No Work No Pay and later they changed the agitation period into earned leave. By doing this state, is motivating other employees that they are helpless before the employee.
He further said that instead of talking to these protesters, the government should first ask them to stage protest at designated places; otherwise "we would not have deliberation with you. Instead of flushing them out, the State Government starts talking with them. If the State does not stop them here, then situation may become tough in coming days."
Before this protest, ROs had misbehaved with additional secretaries by using abusive languages against the officers inside their cabin.
On condition of anonymity, a section officer said that it is true, their demands are genuine but now they are creating nuisance in the premises of secretariat as if they will not work here anymore. By doing this, ROs have been adding new enemy everyday. He further said that he himself unable to understand why senior officers are not taking disciplinary action against these irritant employees. By delaying this they have been promoting them to irritate other official. If this would continue then senior officer or other official would stop visiting secretariat with a fear that they may be harassed by the agitating employee.
A Secretary said that there is no clarity from either state. If state government does not want to accept their demand then they should start taking step to crush the agitation. He further said that state should send advisory to the treasury to stop payment of these agitating employee then see how they would come on back foot. As they knew that they would get their salary by April 30 or May 1 which is why they are making mockery of the state. Once government sends advisory to the treasury then see how many people stands on their protest.
Beauty of this agitation is that probationer ROs are sitting in protest. Here state can terminate them from service but they know state can't do it. For instance Tamil Nadu Government had terminated several employees and they had challenged the decision in S C, which refused to give them relief. Now they are still running between pillar to post to get absorbed.