In an unprecedented move, the Mamata Banerjee government has made arrangements for the overnight stay of government employees in their offices to ensure their attendance on Tuesday during the strike. Close to 500 employees will stay overnight at the Writers’ Buildings.
Trinamul Congress-backed United State Government Employees’ Federation (USGEF) has made arrangement for the employees’ accommodation in all state government offices upto block level. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Whoever wants to stay back in their offices can do so. It is their prerogative and all necessary arrangements have been made.”
State chief secretary Samar Ghosh said, “I have asked the public works department to make arrangements in this regard. Writers’ employees can stay in their offices or corridors on approval of the caretaker.”
On being asked whether it had happened before, Mr Ghosh, a 1977-batch IAS officer, replied: “It had happened a long time ago.”
But this never happened in the Left Front government’s 34-year rule in West Bengal.
CPI(M)-backed Coo-rdination Committee, meanwhile, claimed that no employee can stay back at their office in the night.