About a dozen pro-Congress NGO association leaders were removed by police for trying to picket the government secretariat here and eight persons were arrested under ESMA, as the strike by employees and teachers entered the 16th day without significant increase in attendance position.
With the government and the staff outfits sticking to their position, functioning of offices and educational institutions continued to be paralysed across the state.


Police said eight persons were arrested under ESMA from different parts of the state since on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the pro-left trade unions are meeting to discuss calling a one-day general strike in support of the staff agitation.
A section of government doctors are continuing their work-to-rule agitation. Employees and teachers in Kerala are on indefinite strike since Feb 6 demanding restoration of the curtailed perks as part of cost-cutting process by the A K Antony government.

Bureau Report