The AAP Government is in the process of cracking the whip on the employees belonging to the Delhi Administrative Subordinate Services (DASS) who have been on strike outside the Player’s Building demanding implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission in national Capital.
Taking a serious note of the ongoing strike by the DASS/steno grade employees, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday checked their attendance sheet to find out who did not report on duty at 10 am on Friday.
According to sources, the AAP Government is going to take strict action against those who are on strike.
In a note, C Arvind, secretary to Deputy Chief Minister, said DCM has desired that the administrative secretaries/HoDs will report about all DASS/steno cadre officials who did not turn up for duty at 10 am on Friday.
“The list may also include DASS/ steno officials who have taken prior leave,” the note said.
At a recent high-level meeting chaired by the DCM last week, the issue of the DASS employees’ agitation was discussed. A confidential note issued by the Government said, “Some unlawful elements of the Delhi Government have gone on strike. The behaviour of the agitating employees deserves immediate action under the conduct rules by the concerned disciplinary authorities. The Deputy Chief Minister has directed all Heads of the Departments to issue strict warning to all the employees that the Government will consider all necessary action including termination of the employees indulging in unlawful activities.”
Considered as the artery network of the Delhi Governments administrative machinery, the 26,000 odd DASS cadre employees have been demanding implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and restructuring of the cadre for more avenues for promotion.
The DASS cadre employees first went on hunger strike on
September 16, but all in vain. They had reportedly been assured by the chief secretary that their demands would be promptly looked into.
The CS is said to have also written three letters to Ministry of Finance, requesting that the pay scale of common category employees of Delhi Government be delinked from other Union Territories.
The DASS cadre employees have again been on hunger strike for the past two weeks. They had even gheroed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last week, who in return assured them that their demands would be fulfilled within a week. “But nothing has happened till date. And we will continue our agitation till our demands are fulfilled,” a DASS-cadre employee told The pioneer.
Another DASS cadre employee said, “Kejriwal during his first 49-day tenure as the CM had promised to fulfill their demands. But the same CM is now not fulfilling his own promise. We have been discriminated by both the State as well as Central Governments for the past many years.”
The DASS Association had made several representations to lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, the CM and the Finance Ministry during the past one year, but all in vain.