Central government officials wore black clothes, took out marches and refused to work extra hours on Friday amid the Union government’s failure to grant them timely promotions. The middle to senior rank government officials who comprise the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) have not been promoted for the past six years, forcing many to retire without enhanced financial benefits. The lack of promotions has created huge vacancies in the CSS, leading to increased workload, said an official.
After repeated pleas to the government fell on deaf ears, hundreds of CSS officials showed up in office on Friday in black clothes as a mark of protest.
“All CSS officials are overburdened with work. The government has launched over 250 schemes in the past six years and their implementation is on us. As a mark of protest we decided not to work beyond 5.30 p.m. We will work strictly as per the manual,” said a CSS official who participated in the protest.
