The Hindu : Kerala News : AGs’ Office staff offer to complete pension work

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Saturday, Nov 24, 2007
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Kerala

AGs’ Office staff offer to complete pension work

Special Correspondent

Striking staff seek ‘conducive working atmosphere’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The striking employees of the Accountant-Generals’ Office here have offered to complete the work on processing the pension benefits of State government employees in a time-bound manner, if a conducive working atmosphere is created.

Convenor of the Audit and Accounts Association K.N. Vijayakumar told reporters here on Friday that work on processing the documents of 3.4 lakh pensioners for the one-rank one-pension scheme was part of their duty.

No to outsourcing

The Accountant-General should hold discussions with the striking employees and create a working atmosphere for the smooth functioning of the office at the earliest. Outsourcing the work was against the rules. The association had offered 200 volunteers to complete the work, but the offer was not accepted by the Accountant-General.

While the office had received 1.3 lakh applications, 39,000 were taken up for processing and the claims of only 15,000 pensioners have been settled. Mr. Vijayakumar accused vested interests of spreading canards against the employees. There was a move to place the onus for the delay in completing the work on the employees. The allegation that the association went on strike to delay the disbursal of pension benefits was baseless.

Action taken

Disciplinary action has been taken against 490 employees invoking various provisions of the service rules. While 31 employees were facing the threat of dismissal from service, a three-year bar on increment has been clamped on 40 others. Non-bailable cases have been framed against four employees.

Action has been taken against the employees for taking part in demonstrations and dharnas.

Though 18 days have passed since the association members went on fast, no action has been taken so far to end the impasse. If the authorities failed to initiate talks, the employees will be forced to intensify the agitation, he said.

Meanwhile, association leader K. Kamalasanan who was on fast before the office was hospitalised and S.A.Santhosh Kumar began fasting.

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