Though HP state government had announced financial benefits of several thousands crores for the state government employees in Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting with Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur last week to woo them before the next Assembly election due in 2022 , the announcements have opened a Pandora box with several employee bodies coming in open to raise their demands.
The first to come out openly in raising their demands has been police constabulary as hundreds of police jawans marched in their dresses to Chief Minister’s official residence at Oak over Shimla to raise the issue of paying them band pay after two years instead of 8 years.
This is for the first time in history of the state; a disciplined force like police took such a step as they felt aggrieved in not giving them band pay after two years of service at par with regularization of all contractual employees after two years of their recruitment as announced after the JCC.
The Chief Minister had clarified they are not recruited on contracts and as per terms of their recruitment the band is given to them after 8 years of service.
Not satisfied with the explanation the police constables are continuing their protest by boycotting food in the mess and the CM has asked the DGP to take stern action as the constabulary is considered a disciplined force.
Similarly, government college lectures have also raised a demand to implement seventh pay commission in the state.
Mid day meal workers, MGNREGA workers, peace-meal workers of HRTC and thousands of workers of other categories have raised a banner of revolt to highlight their demands.
Surprisingly, many bodies of state government employees have also raised their demands which were not taken up in the JCC.
Commenting on the issue a former employee leader said, “The state government employees have been politicized by the BJP and Congress governments in the state and they have always been holding meetings with their favoured employee’s leaders while genuine demands of several categories of employees remain unresolved.”
“Even in the present JCC meeting 62 demands were to be taken up but only three -four demands were discussed leaving many employees dissatisfied”, he adds.
Debt-ridden state government reeling under heavy financial burden is already finding it difficult to arrange funds to pay financial benefits of over Rs 18000 crores to its employees announced in the JCC.