People's Democracy

 A & N ISLANDS

Govt Employees Join All India Protest Fast

                                      D Ayyappan

AS part of the nationwide agitation by central government employees at the call of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, leaders of the Non-Gazetted Government Officers Association, Andaman & Nicobar Islands recently observed a two day protest fast. The fast began at Tiranga Park, Aberdeen Bazar, Port Blair, at 8.30 a m on September 3 and concluded at 5 p m the next day. 

Ten leaders of the NGOs Association in the islands participated in the fast.  Inaugurating the fast, the CPI(M)’s A & N state secretary H N Parial   criticised the government for not conceding the genuine demands of central government employees. A large number of government employees, representatives of trade unions, and former member of parliament M R Bhakta greeted the fasting leaders.

The demands highlighted during the programme are:

1) No closure, privatisation, outsourcing, abolition of vacant posts and any other form of downsizing of the central government establishments and services.

2) Filling up of all vacant posts and creation of justified posts by lifting the ban on recruitment.

3) Withdrawal of the Indian Post Office Act (Amendment) Bill 2002.

4) Appointment of the sixth central pay commission and grant of interim relief.

5) Merger of 50 per cent DA with pay.

6) Withdrawal of the contributory pension scheme and no curtailment in pensionary entitlements.   

7) Implementation of the Justice Talwar committee recommendations on the status of and pension to extra-departmental (ED) employees (gramin dak sevaks) of the postal department.

8) Removal of ceiling of Rs 2500 on payment of bonus. Grant of ad hoc bonus on the basis of weighed average of PLB.

9) Removal of the arbitrary ceiling of 5 per cent vacancies for compassionate appointments.

10) Restoration of 12 per cent per annum interest on GPF deposits.

The fast also sought to press the following local demands:

1) Upgradation of pay scale for lower grade clerks, HGC and superintendents.

2) Grant of ACP to teachers, as recommended by the fifth pay commission. 

3) Restoration of Andaman special allowance and compensatory allowance on percentage basis.

4) House rent allowance applicable to B-1 cities.

5) Construction of more residential accommodation at Port Blair and outstations.

The fast was followed by a public meeting that was addressed by the NGOs Association president Pranob Banerjee and general secretary D Ayyappan who criticised the government’s policy of privatisation and downsizing of government establishments. They demanded immediate lifting of ban on creation of posts and filling up of vacant posts. Referring to the sky-rocketing prices of all essential commodities and the recent hike in prices of petroleum products, the speakers demanded adequate compensatory measures for government employees and re-iterated the demands raised by the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers.

Referring to the teachers’ problems, the NGOs Association leaders said the central government is depriving thousands of teachers of the benefits of assured career progression scheme as was recommended by the fifth pay commission for all government employees including teachers. They also referred to the deplorable condition of government school buildings in the islands.

The speakers said that government employees in the islands are experiencing an acute shortage of residential accommodation throughout the islands. They criticised the A&N administration for not taking any tangible steps to ease the shortage of residential accommodation. They also demanded immediate upgradation of the pay scales of lower grade clerks in the A&N administration considering the fact that the qualification for recruitment to the LGC post has been raised and computer knowledge made compulsory.