JAKS accuses state govt of putting lid on permanent employee status

EOIC, Kurseong, 5 October 2013: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha affiliated Janmukti Asthayi Karmachari Sangathan has put the blame on the state government for casual workers not being made permanent in spite of repeated requests.

The allegation comes on the eve of an expected mass exodus of JAKS members to the Trinamool Congress on Sunday at an event in Kurseong.

Talking to the media this afternoon in Darjeeling, JAKS spokesperson Deepak Sharma said, “The state government is playing a big game to destabilise the hills and confuse the people. It has vested interests which is why casual workers here have not been made permanent even after so many years.”

There are more than 6,000 casual workers presently employed in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. When GNLF chief Subash Ghising signed the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council accord in 1988, several youths had been given jobs on temporary basis on nominal remuneration.

Over the years these casual workers made several requests and demands both to the then CPM-led state government and the DGHC for permanent status, but all came to naught.

The JAKS was set up after the GJM took over charge of things in hills in 2007 and the demand for permanency was raised again. To create further pressure, JAKS members took to the agitation path that finally yielded a temporary result. The state government in-principle agreed to make more than 3,000 casual workers permanent and also raised their salary. However, the assurance still remains unfulfilled even as political equations witnessed changes in the state.

Meanwhile, the JAKS spokesperson said a number of sanctioned posts are still lying vacant in various offices of the GTA despite repeated requests to the state government to fill the positions.
In the education sector, teachers working as casual employees need to be made permanent. “It is there for all to see that there are several posts lying vacant in the GTA that have not been filled up.

Teachers at the primary school level are still casual employees after many years in service. The JAKS has made submitted several deputations in this regard but without any results,” said Sharma.

He also sought to remind that the GTA had recently adopted a resolution seeking permanent status for casual workers, but it was completely ignored by the state government.

“A resolution was adopted by GTA executive members some months ago demanding permanent status for casual workers. The resolution was forwarded to the state government, but it has failed to address the matter,” said Sharma.

In another development, the JAKS has accepted the resignation of four central committee members that include a unit president and secretary. Sources have said the four are expected to join the

TMC camp during Sunday’s programme in Kurseong that will be attended by party brass Mukul Roy and Gautam Deb, among others.