Patwaries strike: CM issues directives to Finance Ministry

Association to take decision on calling off strike

SRINAGAR: Taking note of the ongoing strike of revenue officials in support of their demands, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday asked Finance Minster Abdul Rahim Rather to sort out the pay anomaly issue of the patwaris and girdawars.

The differences in the pay scale of these officials should be removed as early as possible, sources in the administration quoting the CM said. They said the Chief Minster issued the directions after Revenue Minster Ajiaz Ahmad Khan raised the issue in the council of ministers which met here on the occasion of opening of Durbar Move.

Revenue Minster raised the issue during the meeting and told CM that officials in the department were on strike for last more than three weeks pressing for their demands including the pay anomaly, sources added.

The Minster for Revenue (independent charge) Aijaz Ahmad Khan confirmed the development, saying the Chief Minster has passed the directions to the Finance Ministry which would start working on it very soon.

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Yes, I raised the issue in the council of Ministers following which Chief Minster issued instant directions to the Finance Minster to sort out the Pay anomaly issue if it was due to the revenue employees, Khan said.

Meanwhile, Patwar Association on Monday hailed the CMs intervention and said that they would be meeting on Tuesday to arrive at a consensus regarding calling off the strike.

We would meet on Tuesday and would take the Jammu based members also into confidence before taking any decision regarding our future strategy, a senior member of the association said.

Pertinently the revenue officials have been on indefinite strike in support of their demands including removing of discrepancies in the pay scales among various ranks in the department. KNS

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