Suspend striking employees: HP govt issues instructions to officials

Himachal Pradesh government has Friday issued instructions to its officials that if any employee indulges in any form of strike, demonstration, boycott of work or give notice conveying intention to do so, should be immediately placed under suspension or removed from service.

These instructions have been issued as the state government employees under the banner of New Pension Scheme Karamchari Mahasangh (NPSKM) headed by its chief Pradeep Thakur started a 'padyatra', foot march, from Mandi on February 23. They have planned to gherao the state Assembly in Shimla on March 3 in support of their demand of restoring old pension scheme for government employees.

Issued today by under secretary (Personnel) Balbir Singh, the three-page instructions have been forwarded by the chief secretary Ram Subhag Singh to all administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners, heads of departments and deputy commissioners for strict compliance.

The instructions stated If any employee or group/ association of employees, under any nomenclature, indulge in any form of strike/ demonstration/boycott of work or give notice conveying their intention to do so, the same be viewed seriously and stringent disciplinary action initiated forthwith for contravention of Rule 3 and 7 of CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964 and the salary/ wages/ emoluments of such employees for the day/ days in question should also not be released.

"The defaulters indulging in unlawful activities should be immediately placed under suspension or removed from service, it added.

It has been stated in the instructions that instances have come to the notice of the Government whereby various categories of the employees/ workers functioning under the State Government have been indulging in strikes, demonstrations and protests without raising their grievances in appropriate fora.

It is observed that often there is forcible confinement of public servants as demonstrations/ meetings are being held both within the office premises during office hours and also outside the premises beyond office hours, leading to forcible confinement of public servants, the instructions stated adding that measures like pendown strike, mass casual leave etc., are being adopted.

Such activities/ demonstrations/ measures are detrimental and prejudicial to the public order and also involve criminal offences like wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, criminal trespass or abetment/ incitement to commit offences, it added.

Such activities are also subversive of discipline, harmful to public interest, they stated adding that these cause inconvenience to the general public and sometimes damage to the public property is also reported.

The instructions further stated that participation in such activities by Government servants amounts to conduct is unbecoming of Government servant and would constitute good and sufficient reason to proceed against under the Rule-11 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965.

Moreover, during the period when the Assembly Session is in progress and there is general ban on leave and the Government servants are required to assist in transaction of legislative business, such instances are not short of gross indiscipline, insubordination and dereliction of official duties, the instruction added.