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Title : Reported strike by State Government employees due to non-implementation of 6th Pay Commission.
SHRI KIREN RIJIJU (ARUNACHAL WEST): Sir, the Sixth Pay Commission has been implemented throughout the country but, unfortunately, in a smaller State like Arunachal Pradesh, the Sixth Pay Commission could not be implemented due to constraint of resources. Now the employees have gone on pen down strike, and the Government has invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) because of which hundreds and thousands of employees are now arrested. At this point of time, I feel that the Central Government must intervene because the demands of the employees are genuine. They are demanding what is due to them. I do not want to blame the State Government directly because the State Government has its own constraint. But we cannot deny the rights of the employees. The invoking of ESMA is curtailing the rights of the employees, what is due to them. I have met the hon. Prime Minister in this regard also to announce a green and peace package for the State of Arunachal Pradesh whereby the State Government can roll out the provisions under the Sixth Pay Commission to the State Government employees.
Presently, all the employees under the State Government other than the IAS and IPS are on pen down strike. It is unfortunate that a few Government employees are drawing the benefits of the Sixth Pay Commission whereas the State Government employees are being barred from the benefits.
My request to you, hon. Deputy Speaker, Sir, is that if the Central Government cannot intervene at this stage, the State Government is going to collapse because nobody is going to attend the office. I am getting lots of telephone calls and a lot of pressure from the Employees’ Association to please impress upon the Central Government to intervene immediately.
I humbly request the Central Government to talk to the employees and ask the State Government to give a very patient hearing to the employees’ demand and hear them out. I do not demand that the arrears should be announced or paid at one time. It can be done in instalments also. But, to put them behind bar, to put them in jail and arrest them at this stage is unfair.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I echo the sentiments of the Government employees here and once again request the Government of India to intervene and take care of the sentiments of the Government employees in the State of Arunachal Pradesh.