Employees' strike affects schools, offices in Kashmir

Srinagar, May 8 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir government employees across Kashmir Valley began a two-day strike Tuesday to press the state government for the implementation of their demands.

Except for the civil secretariat in Srinagar where work remained unaffected, almost all other government offices in the Valley wore a deserted look because the employees stayed away from work.

Besides the state government offices, work in most of the schools in Kashmir was adversely affected by Tuesday's strike which was also joined by teachers.

Jammu and Kashmir has around 45 lakh government employees who are agitating for enhancement in their retirement age from the existing 58 to 60 years, regularization of ad-hoc and daily wage employees, removal of pay anomalies and increase in the emoluments of Anganwadi workers.

The state government had constituted a committee headed by Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary Madhav Lal to make recommendations on the employees' demands to the government.

After deliberations with the employees, the committee has submitted its report and the same is now likely to come up for discussion by the cabinet sub-committee whose recommendations would finally be taken up for consideration by the state cabinet.