Officers of 25 cadres to go for stricter strike soon over 'discrimination' by admin cadres

Protesting officers from 25 civil service cadres are planning to take strict action soon protesting the discriminatory behaviour by officials from the administration cadre.

The Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council, which is leading the protest against the administration cadre, made the announcement in a press statement after their second day of the pen-down strike today (28 May).

They observed the pen-down strike across various offices nationwide from 9am to 12pm for the second consecutive day today, protesting the temporary suspension and departmental cases filed against officials from different cadres by the administration cadre offcials.

"Recently, members of the administration cadre engaged in physical altercations, demonstrations, and showdowns within ministries. They issued ultimatums to the Reform Commission, leading to discussions on social media. This resulted in conflicts between the administration cadre members and officials from the remaining 25 cadres," the council statement reads.

"Due to these social media discussions, 12 members from the 25 cadres were temporarily suspended. Although various government authorities assured a resolution, the issue has remained unresolved for a long time. Moreover, departmental proceedings have recently been initiated against several individuals. However, despite engaging in activities beyond government regulations, no punitive action has been taken against the administration cadre officials," it adds.

The council stated that the report presented by the Public Administration Reform Commission lacks recommendations to ensure corruption-free public service. "Instead, it contains biased recommendations favouring a specific cadre group."

The report recommends dissolving the district council, making the deputy commissioner (DC) the head of the district, upgrading their position, and granting them magistracy powers.

"The council believes that in a democratic society, no government bureaucrat can be the head of a geographical area. Therefore, they demand that the district council be strengthened and made effective, with elected representatives serving as the chief coordinators of the district," reads the press statement.

It further alleges that the Public Administration Reform Commission has deliberately created complications in its report regarding health, education, statistics, postal services, family planning, customs, and tax cadres.

"It has recommended a 50% quota for administration cadre officials in the deputy secretary pool while allocating the remaining 50% for officials from the other 25 cadres through examinations. The council considers this recommendation contradictory to the July Uprising.

Various protest programs have been initiated against such decisions made without consulting the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council," the council statement says.

It says that while discussions with the government on these issues continue, the council feels compelled to take action against the administration cadre's biased and oppressive behaviour toward its members.

"Despite commitments made at the negotiation table, no practical solutions have been observed, leading to frustration. If the issue remains unresolved, they plan to take even stricter action soon," they said.