Mamata Banerjee's government orders pay cut for people joining September 28 Darjeeling bandh

KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee's government has threatened a three-day pay cut for it's employees in Darjeeling who will not attend their offices during the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha ( GJM)-sponsored bandh in the Hills on September 28.

The GJM has called a 12-hour bandh in Darjeeling on September 28 to protest the alleged bogus claim by Mamata Banerjee on the quantum of funds provided by her government to the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA). The GJM also threatened to extend the bandh in case the state administration and the police make any move to foil it.

Also, the GJM called the bandh to protest failure on the part of the state government to settle the annual bonus rate for tea garden workers in Darjeeling.

In a memorandum, the audit branch of the finance department has said "in view of call given by the GJM for bandh/strike in the areas under the GTA on September 28, it has been decided that all state government offices situated in that area including those provided with Grants-in-Aid by the state government would remain open and all employees of those offices should report for duty on that date. It has also been decided that no leave shall be granted to any employee on the bandh day, prior to the bandh day, i.e. September 27 and on the next working day after the bandh day i.e on September 29."

The government also said that dislocation of traffic would not be considered as a reason for granting of leave during the bandh day. Salaries would be deducted for three days in case any government employee fail to report for duties for three days from September 27.

The memorandum signed by the principal secretary H.K.Dwivedi, also said that hospitalisation of any employee, bereavement in their families, severe illness and absence continuing from before will be treated as genuine cases for non deduction of salaries. Employees who have been on child care leave, maternity leave, medical leave, earned leave sanctioned and continuing prior to issue of this order will also be treated for non deduction of salaries.

Show cause notices will be served on the employees who will remain absent for three days from September 27 asking him or her to explain why action would not be taken against him/her for such unauthorised absence. "On receipt of satisfactory reply, leave due and admissible may be granted on production of documentary evidence and those who will not respond to the show cause notice, will be liable to disciplinary action, the memorandum said. All course of action against strikers who will not attend their duties would be completed by October 4.