Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: The Secretariat Service Association has announced a collective leave for all its members from September 10 to 12, causing a temporary halt in operations at both the Secretariat and the Directorate. This decision comes as a result of ongoing protests by the association’s officials and employees, who have been advocating for their demands for the past three months.
Siddharth Shankar Besra, the General Secretary of the association, has formally communicated this decision to all Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, and department heads through a letter. The Secretariat and Directorate employ nearly 1,000 officials and employees, all of whom are expected to participate in this collective leave.
Besra highlighted that the association’s demands have been pending with the government for several years, leading to growing frustration among the members. “The neglectful attitude of the government has compelled us to take this step and move towards a phased protest,” he explained. The executive committee of the association has decided that the next phase of their movement will involve a complete shutdown from September 10 to 12.
Key Demands of the Secretariat Service Association:
- Pending Promotions: Immediate action is required to grant promotions to the officials and employees of the Secretariat Service who have been waiting for years.
- Retrospective Effect for Promotions: The association demands that the promotions to the posts of Section Officers be made effective retrospectively.
- Approval of Non-Functional Pay Scale: Section Officers should be granted a non-functional pay scale, as is the norm in similar government services.
- Creation of Senior-Level Posts: There is a need to create additional posts at the Deputy Secretary and Joint Secretary levels within the Secretariat Service to ensure smoother operations and career progression.
- Filling Vacant Positions: Immediate promotions are required to fill the vacant posts of Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary, and Section Officer to avoid disruptions in administrative functions.
- Child Education Allowance and Recruitment: The association is pushing for the provision of a child education allowance for employees and the prompt recruitment of personnel for the vacant positions in the original category of the Secretariat Service.
