7th Pay Commission: These government employees get assurance from Rajnath Singh over their demands

7th Pay Commission: Even as central government employees are still waiting and resorting to pressure tactics to draw the attention of the government regarding their demands for hike in pay through an increase in fitment factor over and above the recommendations of the 7th pay panel report, All India Railwaymen's Federation's general secretary Shivgopal  Mishra received  some good news. He met Union home minister Rajnath Singh over their old demands. 
 
According to reports, Mishra told the home minister that Indian Railways employees are fuming over non-fulfilment of their demands, and reminded him of his assurance that led to suspension of the nationwide strike in July 2016. Since the government has so far failed to fulful demands of the Railway employees, they are determined to go ahead with their agitation, he indicated. The Home Minister has reportedly told Mishra that he would not let the situation aggravate and once again gave assurance to the employees.
 
Recently on October 4, the employees marked a Black Day to protest against the government to move to end the Liberalised Active Retirement Scheme for Guaranteed Employment for Safety Staff (LARSGESS) scheme, which Mishra stated to have told Rajnath Singh that it was in fact extending benefit to the Indian Railways.   
 
Notably, LARSGESS was launched in 2004 by the then railway minister Nitish Kumar. The scheme was framed to give jobs to children of employees in the lower tier, drivers and gangmen, in return for voluntary retirement. But the scheme was halted in the wake of a Punjab and Haryana High Court order. The Railways decided to approach the Supreme Court to determine if the scheme is Constitutionally tenable.
 
In the meantime, the Railway ministry in July 2017 had suspended the scheme in all its zones stating "Keep LARSGESS on hold till further orders.” The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the Railways to “revisit the offending policy keeping in view the principle of equal opportunity in public employment….”
Mishra reportedly apprised Rajnath Singh about the Railway board's sudden decision to end the LARSGESS scheme for which employees had got in their favour after years of struggle. 
 
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Shivgopal Mishra has also demanded to restore the old pension scheme because the Railway employees are no longer in a mood to wait for it, He reportedly said that rather than giving fresh amenities to employees this is seen for the first time that the government is trying to end facilities given earlier.