3 lakh employees of Chhattisgarh on strike today for Sixth Pay Commission

            Raipur, August 21, 2008: Bringing all works in offices of Chhattisgarh to a grinding halt, about three lakh employees of Chhattisgarh state Government went on complete strike today demanding implementation of the recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission in the state.

            From State Secretariat to the Revenue Block level, works in all government offices through out the state were paralysed today as about three lakh government employees were on a strike for implementation of the recommendation of the pay commission, Convener of the Chhattisgarh Employees and Officers Joint Forum, Subhash Mishra told reporters here at the D K S Bhawan.

            Many state governments have already announced to give salary to its employees as per the Sixth Pay Commission after the Centre declared on August 14 to implement that and the joint forum of all the employees are demanding here that salary for the state employees be given as per that recommendation, the Employees Union leader said.

            The model code of conduct could be in force any time in the state for the coming Assembly election, hence employees also wanted an early decision on that matter, Mishra said.

            Looking into the mood of the employees, armed guards were deployed in front of the Mantralaya and district offices but the main gates in many offices were locked by the agitationists and they had also hanged notices saying the employees are on strike.

Any unpleasant situation had not been reported from any part of the state due to the strike, police sources said.

After a successful strike the Forum of the officers and employees of the state are meeting soon to decide the next course of agitation, Mishra said.