BENGALURU: On the day the state government employees embarked on their indefinite strike to demand implementation of the 7th Pay Commission interim report and switching back to the Old Pension Scheme, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday announced a 17 per cent interim wage relief for the employees.
Speaking to reporters, the CM said, “We have held discussions with officials of the Finance Department. We also held discussions with representatives of the various state government employees’ unions and we have come to an agreement. It has been agreed that interim relief of 17 per cent will be given and the orders will be issued shortly”.
“On their demand for scrapping the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and adopting the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a committee will be set up under the Additional Chief Secretary to study how it has been done in other states, its repurcussions and financial implications. The committee will submit its report in two months and an order in this regard too will be issued soon. The government has accepted their two main demands and I appeal to the employees to drop their stir”, the CM said.
Reacting to the development, state government employees’ union president Shadakshari said they will await the issuance of the orders on the interim relief and setting up of the committee on NPS and only then decide if they will withdraw their protest. “Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai held a meeting with us till 11 pm on Tuesday at ‘Krishna’. Meetings with officials are still going on. If the outcome is favourable to us, we will welcome it and take a decision on withdrawing the strike. As of now, the strike is on”, he said.
Meanwhile, government offices were empty while services were affected in hospitals, schools and various other government agencies with the staff staying off work.
All offices in the Vidhana Soudha, secretariat, BBMP, deputy commissioner’s and taluk offices, gram panchayat, government schools and hospitals including primary health centres (PHCs), municipal corporations, government hostels and revenue department across the state wore a deserted look while patients faced difficulties in government health facilities. However, only emergency and out-patient services were available.