Imphal, March 31: Imphal reeled under intermittent power cuts throughout the day setting off speculation that the employees of the power department had joined the ceasework launched by the joint administrative council (JAC), an apex body of government employees’ unions, from today.
Confusion reigned as the JAC could not confirm whether the department had joined the strike or not. “We cannot say with certainty whether the power department employees have joined the strike or not. But they have decided to join the strike and if not today, they will join soon,” a JAC spokesman said.
Several government employees, under the banner of the JAC, have been on ceasework since January 16 to demand implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission in toto.
They have rejected the Ibobi Singh government’s offer to start paying the increased rates from April this year and are maintaining that the payment should start from January 2006.
Ibobi Singh had recently said he was planning to meet the leaders of the council after the 2009-10 fiscal was over.
He, however, added that the employees’ ceasework did not have much impact.
A senior official of the power department said the employees had not joined the strike. He said the power cuts were because of the heavy rain.
The employees at the state secretariat, Raj Bhavan and police headquarters here said they experienced intermittent power cuts throughout the day.
The supply to the local media offices was also disrupted frequently.
“We are managing with a small generator because of the power cuts. We cannot say whether the employees of the department have stopped the supply or not,” an official at the police headquarters said.
A senior official at the state secretariat said the secretariat had similar experiences today.
Many complained that the telephone at the Keishampat power supply point in Imphal city was not attended throughout the day.
Sources speculated that today’s power cuts were a warning by the power department staff to the government that they would also join the strike if their demands were not considered.
Confusion reigned as the JAC could not confirm whether the department had joined the strike or not. “We cannot say with certainty whether the power department employees have joined the strike or not. But they have decided to join the strike and if not today, they will join soon,” a JAC spokesman said.
Several government employees, under the banner of the JAC, have been on ceasework since January 16 to demand implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission in toto.
They have rejected the Ibobi Singh government’s offer to start paying the increased rates from April this year and are maintaining that the payment should start from January 2006.
Ibobi Singh had recently said he was planning to meet the leaders of the council after the 2009-10 fiscal was over.
He, however, added that the employees’ ceasework did not have much impact.
A senior official of the power department said the employees had not joined the strike. He said the power cuts were because of the heavy rain.
The employees at the state secretariat, Raj Bhavan and police headquarters here said they experienced intermittent power cuts throughout the day.
The supply to the local media offices was also disrupted frequently.
“We are managing with a small generator because of the power cuts. We cannot say whether the employees of the department have stopped the supply or not,” an official at the police headquarters said.
A senior official at the state secretariat said the secretariat had similar experiences today.
Many complained that the telephone at the Keishampat power supply point in Imphal city was not attended throughout the day.
Sources speculated that today’s power cuts were a warning by the power department staff to the government that they would also join the strike if their demands were not considered.
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