kolkata: With most of the state government department witnessing more than 90 per cent attendance, there was hardly any impact of the strike on the normal functioning of government offices.
According to a statement the attendance on average in different offices was 90 per cent or above. Most of the absentees were covered under different relaxations provided in the State Government circular issued vide. No. 1068-F(P2) dated March 9, 2023. Action will be initiated against employees who have willfully absented themselves today from work. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) registered 100 per cent attendance. The Home department registered 95 per cent attendance, Finance 90 per cent, Tourism department 96 per cent, Panchayat 93 per cent, health department 82 per cent. Agricultural department received over 90 per cent attendance.
Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Cabinet minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia who is the chairman of Paschim Banga Rajya Sarkari Karmachari Federation (PBRSKF) said that the strike called by some organisations was a ‘flop show’ as the majority of state government departments recorded over 80-90 per cent attendance. “Some departments have seen 100 per cent attendance,” added Bhunia.
A section of employees staged demonstrations in front of the gates of state government offices like Writers’ Building, Bikash Bhavan, Khadya Bhavan, Swastha Bhavan, and Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Similar scenes were witnessed in across district headquarters towns, block development offices and municipalities and Panchayats. A protestor, belonging to the CPI(M)‘s employees wing, said outside KMC building here that “instead of issuing one notice after another this government should work towards hiking the DA of State employees and bring it on par with other states and Centre”. Sources in the state government, however, said work was not affected in any offices. In Midnapore College, North Bengal University and Siksha Bhavan, the agitators, belonging to DSO and BJP respectively, raised slogans at the main gate and forcibly tried to stop the students and employees from entering the office at around 10 am. This led to an altercation and exchange of fisticuffs between the supporters of the ruling party and the agitators.
Incidentally, all the opposition parties — CPI(M), Congress and BJP — supported the strike called by State government employees while the TMC has accused the Opposition of disrupting work culture, despite the state’s financial crisis.
The Mamata Banerjee administration has already said no leave would be allowed on March 10 and the absence will be treated as a break in service.
According to an order issued by the State Finance Department on March 10, 2023, all state government offices, including those provided with grants-in-aid by the state shall remain open on March 10 and all employees will report for duty on that day.
“Absence of employees on that day will be treated as dies-non (break in service) and no salary will be admissible unless such absence is covered by hospitalisation of the employees or if there is bereavement in the family, severe illness and absence continuing prior to March 9,” the order said.