Even as the state government reportedly agreed to accept ten of the 11 demands of the striking non-teaching employees of universities and colleges, the Bihar State University and College Employees' Federation has said the strike would be called off only when government notifications on all the demands are issued.
Sources said talks between HRD minister Hari Narain Singh and representatives of the federation were held in a very cordial atmosphere on Tuesday and a detailed discussion on all the demands was held. The minister, who was assisted by HRD principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and secretary Sanjeev Kumar Sinha during the talks, said all the terms of the July 2007 agreement, save merger of 50% DA with the basic pay, are acceptable to the government and appealed to the leaders to call off their strike.
When the federation leaders insisted on their demand for merger of DA with basic pay, the minister said the chief minister would have to be consulted for this. He sought time till July 20 for making a final declaration on their demands.
In course of talks, the federation leaders said the financial involvement in accepting the demand for DA merger would not exceed Rs 40 crore (and not Rs 250 crore as is being claimed by the government). They also took exception to the reported statement of the HRD minister regarding deputation of CRPF and para-military forces on the campus with a view to restoring academic normalcy.
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