Around 15,000 clerks in Haryana have gone on strike, leaving senior officials without assistance effectively immobilising the running of government offices in the state. This is the first time in decades that such a large number of clerks have gone on strike.
The clerks have been demanding that their pay be equalised with those of similar rank posts in government departments. Specifically they have put forth a demand to increase their basic pay from the present Rs 19,000 to at least Rs 35,400 per month.
The government has already held talks with the protestors in two meetings in an effort to sort out the conflict but no positive results are forthcoming. The government decided on Thursday to implement a ‘no work-no pay’ policy if the strike continues.
Jawahar Yadav, officer on special duty (OSD) for Haryana’s CM, expressed that at the moment it was not possible to give a basic monthly pay of Rs 35,000 but they were hopeful of resolving the crisis soon. Additionally, the government is considering empowering tehsildars further to ensure the smooth functioning of tehsils and prevent any disruptions to land registration caused by the ongoing agitation.
