Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Interim relief evokes mixed reaction

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The service organisations have reacted along expected lines to the interim relief announced by the Government with the pro-Government organisations accepting it and the organisations owing allegiance to the LDF describing the interim relief as inadequate.

The organisations led by the pro-CPI(M) NGO Union took out a march to the Secretariat demanding a higher amount as interim relief. General secretary of the pro-CPI Joint Council of State Service Organisations C.R. Jose Prakash said that it was evident from the amount announced as interim relief that the Government was planning to scuttle the pay revision which had been accepted as a quinquennial exercise from 1973.

Mr. Prakash felt that the Government should have announced a 25 per cent interim relief as demanded by some of the service organisations taking into consideration the phenomenal increase in the prices of essential commodities after the previous revision made on March 1, 1997 and the fact that the next revision which fell due on March 1, 2002 had been delayed. The employees had received an interim relief of 26 per cent in two instalments before the previous pay revision. He described it as a challenge to the employees.

President of the NGO Front Kallada Napolean charged the Government with having betrayed the employees.

He demanded the reconsideration of the Government's decision.

General secretary of the NGO Association J.M. Mustapha warned of resisting at any cost the Government's bid to fool the employees by paying a paltry amount as interim relief.

Chairman of the State Employees and Teachers Organisations Kampara Narayanan, however, welcomed the decision.

He described it as the highest interim relief in the history of the State.

He added that the pro-left service organisations which had kept mum to the LDF Government's indifference to the employees demands had no right to protest against it.

The Secretariat Action Council viewed the interim relief announced by the Government as proof of its sympathetic attitude towards the employees.

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