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Striking employees' wives take over from them

Kamla Bora in Jaipur

With almost the entire leadership of the striking Rajasthan employees behind the bars, their wives will now lead the 50-day-old agitation.

Wives of several top leaders, who have formed the Joint Action Committee of Families of State Employees, addressed a press conference in Jaipur on Tuesday.

Shakuntala Sharma, convenor of the action committee and wife of general secretary of the State Employees Federation, Giriraj Kishore Sharma, said: ''We will take to streets with our children to hold demonstrations and road blockades.''

She said if Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was not in a position to fulfil employees' demands of bonus and additional instalment of dearness allowance, he should step down making way for a more competent leader.

Meanwhile, eleven leaders of the employees have started a fast unto death inside the Jaipur prison.

A delegation of four trade unions, including the Centre of Indian Trade Unions and the All India Trade Union Congress, met the chief minister recently. The delegation was assured that the government would look into their demands.

Panchayati Raj Minister Dr C P Joshi said nine leaders lodged in jails in different parts of the state were being brought to Jaipur for discussions.

ALSO SEE
Employees' strike cripples Rajasthan

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