​​​​​​​HP bans strikes, protests by government employees

Himachal Pradesh has issued an order stating that government employees participating in protests shall be suspended and shall lose their jobs.

The order was issued yesterday by the personnel department of the government. The order states, “Defaulters indulging in unlawful activities should immediately be placed under suspension or removed from service.” 

“Protests by employees when the Vidhan Sabha session is going on is tantamount to gross indiscipline, insubordination and dereliction of official duties. Participation in such activities by government servants is unbecoming of them and will constitute a sufficient reason to proceed against them under Rule 11 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965,” the order states.

According to the order, “During employees protest, often forcible confinement of public servants were witnessed and demonstrations and meetings were held on office premises during working hours by resorting to pen-down strike of taking casual leave. Such activities, demonstrations, measures were detrimental and prejudicial to the public order and also involved criminal offences such as wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, criminal trespass or abetment, incitement to commit offences.”

Thus, the government employees are banned from taking part in strikes, protests and dharnas.

The state has been witnessing protests and demonstrations outside the Vidhan Sabha by various categories of anganwadi workers, including outsourced, regular and contractual.

Recently, over 200 uniformed police constables had marched to the official residence of the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, demanding enhancement of pay scales. Even government doctors have been on strike and they withdrew their agitation yesterday.

Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, has charged Thakur of being dictatorial by issuing the order.