Imphal, November 08: With the indefinite strike sponsored by the employees JAC entering the 22nd day today without results, the PHED Joint Co-ordinating Committee has decided to join the strike from tomorrow.

The JAC said all the offices in the hill and the valley have been paralyzed due to the strike.

Denying reports that some employees of Senapati district have drawn salaries, the statement said that all the departments including the Assembly Secretariat and MPSC have not withdrawn salaries.

The employees have resolved not to take the cut salaries.

The JAC has asked all the employees of the PHE Department not to discharge duties from tomorrow.

It has also appealed to the employees not to resort to violence.

The Chief Secretary Rakesh held a meeting with the senior officials of the Secretariat.

The Chief Secretary appealed to the employees to call off their agitation.

The strikers, however, refused to change their stance.

Meanwhile, the JAC, during a 'Discussion Hour' programme sponsored by SEEN TV today expressed its desire to raise its demands before the Governor in Council as the talks at the State secretary level failed.

State Information secretary S Budhachandra represented the Government while JAC general secretary Th Inaocha represented the employees.

Y Rupachandra, correspondent of The Statesman was the moderator.

Inaocha rejected the contention that the State's fund crunch came due to implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations saying it resulted due to irregularities by successive Ministries.

He alleged that the Government has not paid other allowances coming up from time to time besides the present demands.

Budhachandra said that the Government failed to take up normal development activities due to the JAC strike which began on October 18.However, some essential services have not joined the strike.

He said that the Government has not rejected the demands but only offered to meet them at a more appropriate time as the Government is facing an acute financial crisis presently.

Stating that there is possibility that the financial problems will persist till April 2002, he said that most of the Plan fund has been spent on paying the salaries of the employees.

He said that he has no reservation in forwarding the demands before the Governor's Council and offered to convey the same to higher officials.

Budhachandra said any comment on this matter could provoke a standoff between the Government and the employees.

He however agreed that revenue collections in most of the departments are not satisfactory.

The JAC representative disagreed with the suggestion and urged the Government to redress the people's hardships arising out of the strike.

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