A confrontation is brewing up between the Jammu and Kashmir government and its over four lakh employees over the implementation of the sixth pay commission recommendations.
While the state government says that it is committed to the implementations of the recommendations, the employees have gone on a three-day strike beginning Monday on seeking written assurances from the National Conference Congress coalition government and fixing a date for its implementation.
The state government employees are threatening an indefinite strike and disruption of essential services in the state if their demands are not met.
The employees have already struck work twice on the issue in past one month.
Work remained paralysed in all the state government offices including the civil secretariat, the seat of power presently in winter capital Jammu.
The state government says it is short of resources to the tune of Rs. 3800 crore for payment of arrears, and an annual addition burden of Rs. 1800 crore and it will implement the recommendations once it manages the quantum of money involved in its implementation from the central government.
The state finance minister has already discussed the issue with the planning commission, but so far there has been no cogent headway.
Implementation of the sixth pay commission recommendations has been a commitment to the employees from almost all the political parties, when they campaigned during the recently held assembly elections and from the state Governor.