Arrests trigger protest

Arunachal employees demand officials’ release

Itanagar, Feb 13 : About 5,000 employees of the Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP), protesting the arrest of two officials, took to the streets today and gheraoed a police station here, forcing securitymen to intervene and take control of the situation. The agitators were prevented from entering the police station by the security forces. The chairman of the central executive committee of CoSAAP, G. Kamki, and convenor T. Mibang were arrested here last evening. Both were booked under Essential Service Maintenance Act (Arunachal Pradesh), 1993, for “fomenting” trouble by spearheading a pen-and-tool-down agitation for the implementation of the recommendations of sixth Central Pay Commission.  The protesters, comprising several women employees, staged a road blockade for at least three hours demanding the immediate release of the two officials. The situation came to such a pass that the capital complex deputy commissioner, Padmini Singla, had to rush and address the agitating employees, urging them to call off their protest. L. Loya, the spokesperson for CoSAAP, said 12 district unit presidents of the confederation today courted arrest in protest against the government’s “tyrannical attitude” and “defiance”, depriving the 86,000 government employees from their genuine dues.  “The government failed to implement the recommendations of the pay commission, including provision of three years’ arrears from 2006 to 2008 to employees, besides travel allowance, dearness allowance to state government employees. We will continue with our agitation until the state government revokes Esma and releases our chairman and convenor, immediately,” Loya said. “Even after several representations submitted to chief minister Dorjee Khandu for considering the demands of our employees, the state government has not paid any heed,” he said. In West Siang district headquarters, Aalo, about 2,000 employees led by the district unit general secretary, D. Lollen, gheraoed the deputy commissioner Huzar Lollen’s office.  The situation took an ugly turn when the police resorted to a lathicharge and arrested Lollen sparking off a wild protest from the employees. In Lower Dibang valley headquarters, Roing, the CoSAAP employees held a protest meeting in front of deputy commissioner Tsering Wangmu Ringu’s office.  Papum Pare deputy commissioner, Bidol Tayeng, last evening clamped Section 144 CrPC, banning all meetings involving both the factions of CoSAAP.