Kolkata: With ruling Trinamool Congress
opposed to the all-India industrial strike called by trade
unions next Tuesday, West Bengal government on Tuesday warned of
action against any forcible closure of establishments and also
said all government employees must report for duty.
The Mamata Banerjee government said no leave will be
allowed for state government employees on February 28 and that
necessary steps must be taken by authorities to ensure that
normal life was not disrupted in any way.
"All state government offices will remain open on that
day and all government employees should report for duty,"
Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh said in a circular.
A joint secretary to the state government in another
circular to all departmental secretaries asked them to send to
him details of attendance of employees by 12:30 pm on the day
of strike called by central trade unions.
The chief secretary in his circular to all divisional
commissioners, IGPs, IGPs (railway), SPs, SPs (railway) and
district magistrates asked them to take all precautions to
ensure there was no violation of law and order and that no
untoward incident took place place on the day.
"Attempts at forcible closure of government offices,
shops, markets, educational institutions and industrial
establishments, should be firmly dealt with," the circular
said.
"There should be no stoppage of vehicles and trains
due to squatting or other types of blockade. Such a situation
should not be allowed to develop and prompt advance action
should be taken to effectively deal with them," it said.
The circular called for extensive patrol and adequate
reserve police forces at strategic centres and said "no
government property should be allowed to be destroyed."
Left-backed unions, State Coordination Committee and
Nabaparjay, a state government employees` federation opposed
the state government`s directive.
State coordination committee leader Anutosh Sanyal
described the circular as undemocratic and said that its
members would nevertheless join the strike.
PTI
