Imphal, December 08 2008: The ongoing indefinite cease work agitation called jointly by the All Manipur Government Employees Organisation (AMGEO) and the All Manipur Trade Union Council (AMTUC), has adversely affected the functioning of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), the centre of all official information in the State, which has in turn affected the functioning of the press in the State to a certain extent.

Talking to NNN, a source from the DIPR conveyed that the function of the Department has been paralysed for the past eleven days following the indefinite strike called by the AMGEO and AMTUC over the failure of the State Government to implement the 6th Pay Commission in the State.

This has in turn affected the works related to the press and the media in terms of conducting of tour for news, coverage of Government official programmes, reception of Government press note and releases, releasing of Government developmental or achievement news, etc added the source.

The DIPR has not been able to give out the news of the developmental works of the Government to the print and electronic media since November 27 due to the ongoing cease work agitation, informed the source from the Department.

The AMTUC and AMGEO had gone on an indefinite cease work agitation since November 27 following the failure of the State Government to implement the 6th Pay Commission in the State.

The Joint Administrative Council of the two bodies along with other several government employees had launched the agitation of wearing black badges from November 6 followed by 'pen down' strike from November 20 with the Council of both the bodies warning of a complete cease work strike from November 27 if the Government failed to implement the 6th Pay Commission.

Meanwhile, general secretary of AMGEO, Ch Chandramani informed that the agitation has paralysed about 90 percent of Governmental works in the State and added that the Joint Administrative Council of AMGEO and AMTUC has locked all the State treasury offices of the districts of the State except for Tamenglong.

"I think we will have to sacrifice for Id-ul-Zuha and Christmas regarding the pay," say the general secretary.

The general secretary also called upon all the Government employees in the hills and the valley districts to cooperate with the Council and go on a cease work strike and warned that anyone violating the directive would be punished and added that the guilty must accept the punishment without any complain.

Stating that the 6th Pay Commission should have been implemented in January 2006, the general secretary of AMGEO while condemning the government asserted that the government was trying to make a fool of the people.

He also suggested that the government could endorse some of the Pay Commission in the present pay and pay the remaining 2-3 times as arrear the following year.

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