Imphal, November 07: The State Government today appealed to the striking JAC of Government employees and Secretariat employees to call off their strike and to resume their duties, saying a committee of officers has been constituted to look into their demands.

Agitating women employees in support of the ongoing cease-work strike by the JAC have today checked persons entering in the Imphal Treasury Office to find out whether they have come to get their pay bills passed by the Treasury.

The agitating women employees who restricted employees coming for their pay bills at the treasury office gate however allowed the pensioners to enter the office.

In a statement the Information Secretary S Budhachandra said the committee will come up with a solution within four weeks and a package to be implemented with effect from April 1 next year.

Stating that the officers' committee will look into the demand of revocation of the order to cut allowances of the employees the Information Secretary said the Government will not be in a position to pay all the allowances during this year in view of the serious financial crisis.

The main demands of the striking employees are regular salaries and payment of HR and transport allowances cut by the Government after the State was in grip of an acute financial crisis.

The JAC strike entered 21st day today.

Stating that the demands are justified and these are being considered Budhachandra said the financial crisis is still in a critical condition and the State has been borrowing from the Centre and the RBI.

Hence, the Government would not be able to fulfill all the demands of the employees immediately.

He said that the Government has not been able to release salaries of employees each month.

Overdraft has become a permanent feature.

But to tackle the problem several measures including cut in non-plan expenditure and enhancing revenue collection, besides reducing strength of employees under fiscal Reform Facilities of the 11th Finance Commission and the MoU signed with the Centre, have been taken up.

In view of the prevailing situation the Government decided to cut HRA, TA, special pay, special allowance.

Secretariat duties allowance, vehicle maintenance allowance etc.

This is only a temporary measure, he added.

The Government has clarified that the cut in allowances has affected all ranks of employees and some of the perks of officials under All India Service like special pay and vehicle maintenance allowances are being slashed.

Reiterating that short term measures have been taken to improve the situation the Information Secretary hoped that the situation will improve next year.

A medium term "fiscal reform policy" has already been submitted to the Centre, he said.

He said functioning of the Government has been seriously hampered by the cease work strike.

Even the Budget to be presented in Parliament could not be prepared.

Meanwhile, the JAC said it will continue the cease work strike.

A meeting of the DM College Science Teachers Welfare Association in a meeting today extended support to the strike.

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