The Manipur government is planning to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against leaders of the striking government employees as those in the essential services have also joined the indefinite strike.
The government hospitals are paralysed and the out-patient departments closed. Reports say that paramilitary troopers may also join the strike.
The employees have been on strike since January 16 demanding payment of salary and allowances as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who is also in charge of Finance, said the government would pay the salary and arrears with effect from March this year. However, the employees had been demanding payment with retrospective effect from January 2006.
Mr. Singh had told journalists that the government would need Rs.1,000 crore to clear the arrears with retrospective effect. In such an eventuality, the government coffers would go bankrupt. But the leaders of the All-Manipur Trade Unions Organisation and the All-Manipur Government Employees’ Organisation spearheading the strike say that the Union government had given enough money to make the payments.
Most of the government employees have joined the strike. Those in the Secretariat are refusing to join it. The strikers plan to launch sit-in protests near such offices from March 2.
