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Lapang threatens to clamp Esma

Shillong, Sept. 5: Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang today threatened to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act to foil the state employees’ plan to launch an agitation over the recent pay hike.
Unhappy with the pay package announced which it considers insufficient, the Meghalaya State Government Employees’ Federation has decided to hold “black flag days” on Monday and Tuesday.
According to Lapang, who also holds the home portfolio, the government is committed to ensure work in its offices without disruption.
“We may be forced to invoke Esma if the government employees go ahead with the agitation,” Lapang said.
On Wednesday, the cabinet decided to implement the recommendations of the Fourth Pay Commission with effect from September 1. The arrears will be paid from January 1, 2007 and not from 2008 as recommended by the commission. The employees, however, are demanding that the hike be made effective from 2006, forcing the government to take a tough stand.
Lapang said today that the government could do whatever possible to address the grievances of the government employees by increasing the salary to the advantage of the employees as per the recommendation of the fourth pay panel.
The Meghalaya Heads of Department Employees Association is one of the organisations supporting the agitations. The All Meghalaya Grade IV Employees Association has announced an indefinite ceasework from September 10, demanding the implementation of the pay hike from 2006.
Lapang said that it was during his tenure three years ago that the fourth pay panel was set up though the government employees did not raise any demand then.
“We expected the state employees to thank the government for increasing pay and other allowances. The adamant stand of the employees is not justified,” he added.
Shillong, Sept. 5: Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang today threatened to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act to foil the state employees’ plan to launch an agitation over the recent pay hike.
Unhappy with the pay package announced which it considers insufficient, the Meghalaya State Government Employees’ Federation has decided to hold “black flag days” on Monday and Tuesday.
According to Lapang, who also holds the home portfolio, the government is committed to ensure work in its offices without disruption.
“We may be forced to invoke Esma if the government employees go ahead with the agitation,” Lapang said.
On Wednesday, the cabinet decided to implement the recommendations of the Fourth Pay Commission with effect from September 1. The arrears will be paid from January 1, 2007 and not from 2008 as recommended by the commission. The employees, however, are demanding that the hike be made effective from 2006, forcing the government to take a tough stand.
Lapang said today that the government could do whatever possible to address the grievances of the government employees by increasing the salary to the advantage of the employees as per the recommendation of the fourth pay panel.
The Meghalaya Heads of Department Employees Association is one of the organisations supporting the agitations. The All Meghalaya Grade IV Employees Association has announced an indefinite ceasework from September 10, demanding the implementation of the pay hike from 2006.
Lapang said that it was during his tenure three years ago that the fourth pay panel was set up though the government employees did not raise any demand then.
“We expected the state employees to thank the government for increasing pay and other allowances. The adamant stand of the employees is not justified,” he added.