KL Report
SRINAGAR
Terming that concessions on employees are affecting the state budget, government on Saturday in principal refused to enhance the retirement age of the state employees and alleged the employee’s leaders are showing rigidity resulting in the trouble for the common people. However, government put the ball in the court of assembly to decide about the enhancement of the retirement age.
“House is supreme and if the house is unanimous to enhance the retirement age of the employees then the matter will be discussed further,” Abdul Rahim Rather, finance minister, said in the legislative assembly.
Rather was answering a question raised in the house by CPI (M), leader MY Tarigami.
Reiterating its stand that employees who do not work will not be paid any salaries, Rather said adding “We have given a lot of concessions to the employees but it seems that they are adamant not to work so they time and again chose to come on roads and go for strikes.”
However, many members of the house including Tarigami and Harshdev Singh, demanded immediate release of the arrested employees leaders and withdraw cases against them.
“The arrested employee’s leaders should be immediately released and cases against them should be withdrawn forthwith,” they said.
Rather however refused to release the arrested employee’s leaders saying “They had announced ‘assembly gherao’, how can a responsible government release them and allow them to create law and order probem.”
Mehbooba Mufti, while taking part in the short time discussion alleged government of re-employing many officers even after their retirement.
Er Rashid however, demanded that government must take final decision about the enhancement of the retirement age without “playing politics in it.”
“Saif-ul-din Soz supports the employee’s demands outside the assembly who heads the party which is in the coalition with NC but in the house government does not come clear on the issue, I appeal the government to out rightly refuse the demand of age enhancement and finish the confusion. However, he said the other demands of the employees are genuine.”
