Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said here on Tuesday that nearly two third of the government employees had ignored the strike call by leftist organisations and attended duty on Tuesday.
The strike was marked by sporadic incidents of violence. A few people had been arrested and cases registered against many in connection with criminal offences and destruction of public property.
Addressing a press conference here, the Minister said that 62 per cent of the staff, on an average, reported for duty in government offices across the State. The attendance level was 69 per cent in the State Secretariat and 66 per cent in the Legislature Secretariat. About 87 per cent of the ministerial staff reported for duty at the police headquarters here, and 65 per cent in offices of the police across the State. However, 75 per cent of the employees in the Public Service Commission joined the strike.
Many employees could not report for duty because of the strike by workers of KSRTC and private buses. Some reached offices late.
Mr. Radhakrishnan said that the strike was over a non-issue as the government decision to implement contributory pension did not affect the serving employees anyway. The leaders of the leftist organisations should reconsider their decision to go on strike and suspend the stir.
He said that the KSRTC could operate 2131 out of 4650 schedules on Tuesday despite the strike by a section of the workers. Supporters of strike had deflated and damages types of 15 buses at East Fort here. Tyres of buses were also deflated at Kattakkada, Maranallur, Sasthamcotta and Palakkad. Glasses of buses were broken at Anthiyoorkonam and Maranallur. A driver was manhandled in Thiruvananthapuram and another near Palakkad. Striking workers also blockaded the station master’s office in Alappuzha.
He said that CPI (M) local committee leaders had forcibly closed the ITI at Malayinkizhu here and manhandled three employees. In Poovachal panchayat near Kattakkada, employees Dileep and Harish were attacked by a mob led by the CPI(M) local committee secretary. A similar attack led by a local committee member took place at Ayiroorpara near Pothencode. Physical Education teacher Vincent Das was attacked there and two teachers were threatened. An official was manhandled at Civil Station here and a village office at Cheemeni in Kasaragod district.
