Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Government Officers along with the general public on Thursday had to bear the brunt of the indefinite strike being staged by Rajya Sarkari Karmachari Madhyavarti Sanghatna, for the demand for old pension.
Hearings, daily works and property documents registration services were paralysed on the first day. The general public along with the government's collection and revenue was affected by the strike.
The agitation started at 11 am, in front of the collector's office today in the presence of State Talathi Association President Anil Suryavanshi, Indumati Thorat, Divisional Secretary Mahendra Girge, Talathi Association President Satish Bhadane, Sanjay Mahalankar and Suresh Karpe.
There was no one in the collectorate office except the additional collector and deputy collectors. Out of 963 employees of the district administration, 955 participated in the strike. Administrative work was going on the shoulders of 6 per cent of employees. The unions claimed that around 40,000 employees from the district participated in the agitation. State vice president of the Government Employees Association Dr Devidas Jarare said, “The strike has been 100 percent successful. We will not call off the agitation unless and until The government fulfils the old pension demand, or implements our suggestions.”
Box
Govt can change condition
Employees have been recruited after 2005 on the condition that they will not get old pension. It was a government policy. The employees have accepted the service only after agreeing to that policy. It is Government level that employees will not be able to ask for old pension. On this Dr Jarare said that the serious consequences of that condition were not known at that time. “The condition will have no relevance if the Government decides about the pension,” he added.
Box
Visitors didn’t turn up due to strike
The hearing planned for today was postponed because of the strike. The visitors don’t get the dates easily for hearings. Those who were scheduled today for the hearing were informed by phone that the hearings have been postponed as the employees were on strike. Visitors did not come to the office because of a strike.
Box
Employees participating in the strike in the district
Government employees-- 17,000
Teachers and non-teaching staff—19,000
Municipal Corporation employees-- 4,000
Total---40,000
Box
Organisations participated in strike
Many organisations of employees, teachers and nurses participated in the agitation. The names of some of the unions are as follows; State Talathi Union, Nurses Federation, Revenue Employees Association, Irrigation Department Employees Association, Land Records Employees Association, Castribe Employees Association, Forest Department Employees Association, Information and Public Relations Department, Ground Water Surgey, Animal Husbandry, GMCH Employees Association, Ex-servicemen and Old Pension Rights Association, University Employees.