AIR, DDK administrative staff cry foul

KOLKATA, Aug 24 (UNI): Members of the Akashvani and Doordarshan Administrative Staff Association (ADASA) are observing a 22-day all India agitational programme in support of their demand of upgraded pay scales, as has been granted to other Prasar Bharati "cadres".

The agitation began simultaneously in all centres of AIR and DD on August 8.

The Nation Council of ADASA has chalked out guidelines for various measures like mass casual leave, walk out, sign and quit, day-long dharna and a strike on August 31 to wind up the agitation.

Secretary of the West Bengal and Sikkim zone of ADASA Siddhartha Basu told UNI here today that after the Prasar Bharati Bill was passed in 1997 in the Deve Gowda regime, the NDA government in 1999 raised the pay scales of "the subordinate cadre in Programme and Engineering sections over and above the recommendations of the fifth Central Pay Commission".

"But the administrative staff was ignored along with announcers and news readers-cum-tranlators, among others.

All ADASA is asking for by demanding a pay hike, is parity and justice.

After all, all the cadres are employees of the same organisation.

Rule for one should be rule for all," Basu said.

Basu was a part of a ADASA delegation that met Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Jaipal Reddy in April at New Delhi.

"Reddy was the I&B Minister eight years ago as well, when the Prasar Bharati Act was passed.

He agreed with us in principle.

While granting that gross injustice had been done to the administrative staff, he said there were not enough funds to pay us our dues," Basu said.