Kolkata, September 29: The indefinite strike by Calcutta High Court employees was today withdrawn on the ninth day following an appeal by Chief Justice J N Patel. “We have decided to withdraw the agitation in view of the Chief Justice”s appeal for the sake of the institution and litigants,” High Court Officers” Association Secretary Debabrata Chakraborti said here.
The Chief Justice through his officials told employees that since the state government has communicated that it would announce its views on High Court Pay Committee recommendations within 15 days of withdrawal of the strike, it should be withdrawn, Chakraborti said. Five associations representing officers and other employees of the court had called the strike demanding that the state government implement the recommendations of the High Court Pay Committee immediately.
State Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta had yesterday put a condition on announcing its views on the Committee”s recommendations, saying that it would be done within 15 days after withdrawal of strike. Normal work will resume tomorrow, but litigants will have little time to be heard before the month-long Durga Puja holidays.
There will be only five working days before the court closes for the Puja holidays on October seven. With around three lakh cases pending before the High Court, the agitation has added to the woes of the litigants, many of whom have been doing the rounds of the court for years.
—-PTI–