After the Karnataka government announced an interim hike of up to 17 per cent in basic salary, the Karnataka State Government Employees Association (KSGEA) swiftly decided to withdraw their indefinite strike on Wednesday. The state government has also formed a committee to look into the demands of reverting to the Old Pension Scheme. The interim relief will come into effect from April 1.
State Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai held a meeting with members of the association on Tuesday night and held further discussions with finance department officials and KSGEA on Wednesday Morning. The state government issued an order announcing a salary hike of 17 per cent for government employees.
Speaking to the media, CM Basavaraj Bommai said, “We will provide a 17 per cent hike to all government employees in the state and orders regarding the same are already issued. The 7th pay commission has already been appointed and I have already discussed it with the employee associations.”
He also added that they will constitute a special committee under an additional chief secretary, and it will submit a detailed study on the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and how other state governments are implementing it. The committee will submit the report within two months and that issue will be resolved. Bommai also requested the government employees to end the protest and resume their duties.
The interim relief will entail an additional Rs 12,000 crore expenditure for the government. An agreement was reached with the employees staging a strike after a discussion with additional chief secretary ISN Prasad and other IAS officers including PC Jaffer and Ekrup Kaur.
However, according to The Indian Express, KSGEA President P Guruswamy expressed his discontent and said that he was not happy with the association’s decision to withdraw from the strike. “We wanted the government to enforce OPS, but they have not done it. Our primary aim was to get it done from the government,” he added.
The decision came hours after the Karnataka government employees went on an indefinite strike, abstaining from work in schools, colleges, hospitals and other government institutions.
The government employees made three major three demands to implement which include the 7th Pay Commission in Karnataka, Old Pension Scheme (OPS), and at least 40 percent of fitment facilities.
On Wednesday, Association President, CS Shadakshari along with government employees held a protest at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Campus in Bengaluru, holding placards with demands written on them.
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