What will Gogoi dole out now?

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Nov 4: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who seems to be desperate in appeasing everybody with poll doles, has barely 13 days left to be in the good book of the around four lakh employees in the poll-bound State.

When the Chief Minister is in real testing times, the Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) has spelt it out in no uncertain terms that the employees of the State are on an agitation mode if he fails to fulfil by November 17 the assurances he gave them in their July 21 meeting this year.    

SAKP president Basab Chandra Kalita and secretary general gen Das said in a release issued to the media today: "Our July 21 meeting with the Chief Minister this year was quite congenial, and as such a number of crucial decisions concerning the employees of the State, including teachers and officers, were taken. The Chief Minister did assure us at the meeting that he would draw the outline for a free-of-cost healthcare scheme for the employees of the government by August 15 this year. He also assured us of hiking the salaries of the muster roll employees working in various departments in the State. He was also on record saying that he had already asked the Fince Department to see the matter of arrears of 27 months of the employees. On the issue of regularization of the services of contractual teachers, Gogoi was on record telling us that he would take steps towards that end after getting the nod from the Department of Law. Another assurance Gogoi had given us is ensuring life-long pension benefits for the unmarried daughters of retired employees. However, even as the term of the present government is at its fag-end, none of the assurances has been fulfilled as yet." The SAKP held its steering committee meeting here today when it had a threadbare discussion on the assurances given to them by the Chief Minister in the July 21 meeting this years. The meeting made an appeal to the Chief Minister to fulfil the assurances he had given to the SAKP by November 17, failing which the employees' body would resort to agitation. "On November 21, the employees will stage a sit-in at Guwahati, dhar on December 1 at all district and subdivision headquarters to be followed by cease works, etc.," Kalita and Das said.