Protesting state govt employees urge EC for Central forces

MP | 13 Mar 2023 | Kolkata: The protesting state government employees have now approached the State and the Central election bodies, demanding Central forces for the upcoming Panchayat polls without which they have refused to perform poll duties during election time, fearing for the safety of their lives. 

A section of the State government employees who have been protesting against the state government with a list of demands that include parity in dearness allowances with that of the Central government, and filling up of vacant posts, have now added one more demand to their lists. A group of these protestors approached the State Election Commission and the Election Commission of India asking for central forces during the panchayat polls. 

One of the protestors from Sangrami Joutho Mancha- a joint forum of 35 associations that represent teachers, doctors, nurses and other state government employees- said that previously too they had informed the state election body of the same. He said: “We want Central forces in every booth. 

We have seen violence in Bengal during the 2018 Panchayat elections, and we fear for our lives. Unless central forces are deployed we won’t do poll duties. The rules of the election process guarantee the safety of poll workers. Our demand is not misplaced.” Further, the protestors have also written to the Governor and the Chief Secretary of the state to clarify their stance. 

The association announced that if their demands are not fulfilled immediately, they are not going to perform election duty in all future elections in West Bengal. The members of this joint forum have been protesting near Kolkata’s Shaheed Minar since last month. 

The member of the forum also added that they want the state government to fill up all vacant posts in various departments and give contractual workers permanent status based on merit. 

While the forum of protesting state government employees have demanded Central forces the ruling party in the State have time and again criticised the role of the forces during election time, especially since the 2021 Bengal Assembly election when the Sitalkuchi firing incident left at least four people dead. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/protesting-state-govt-employees-urge-ec-for-central-forces-511507