DGHC job status poser for govt

Darjeeling, Sept. 5: The Janmukti Asthahi Karmachari Sangathan has started agitating in front of DGHC offices since Saturday, seeking clarification from the state government on what the status of the casual employees would be once the interim set-up was put in place.

The agitation underlines the fact that many issues have to be thrashed out before the new administrative arrangement is made workable.

Machendra Subba, the president of the JAKS, an affiliate of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, said: “Talks (on the interim set-up for the hills) are progressing well and it is only a matter of time before the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Act, 1988, is repealed. We want a clarification from the government on the status of jobs before the interim set-up is put in place.”

The JAKS, a union of DGHC causal employees, has been agitating for the regularisation of the jobs of 6,321 workers since the Morcha was formed on October 7, 2007.

The government had assured the JAKS at least twice last year that the regularisation would begin soon, but said frequent closure of administrative offices by the Morcha was delaying the process.

Source: The Telegraph