UP government has cracked the whip of the Lekhpal (village revenue record official) and 2,000 have been suspected so far and warning have been issued to over 11,000 newly recruited Lekhpal who are on strike for the last 12 days. The state government earlier this month had banned the strike by the Lekhpal for six months under Essential services maintenance Act (ESMA).

The government has decided to get tough against the striking Lekhpla after the talks of the UP Lekhpal Sangh with the chief secretary Anup Chandra Pandey remained inconclusive. The government has also directed the district magistrates to ask the suspended Lekhpals to deposit their `Basta’ (revenue records) with the sub divisional magistrates. The government has also directed for lodging FIR against the Lekhpal who refuse to comply with the government order.

Ram Murat Yadav, president of Lekhpal Sangh said here on Saturday that government was not heeding to their long standing demand. We had given complaint letter to concern officers, chairman of the board of revenue, chief secretary and the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath two months back but there was no response. Now when we are protesting in peaceful manner, about 2,000 Lekhpal were suspended while the services of 350 newly recruited have been terminated”.

Yadav said that CM Yogi does not want to hear our problems as we have tried to meet him many time. “CM Yogi is also the minister of revenue department and to whom we should address when he does not want to listen our grievances” he pointed out.

“We have very genuine and basic demands and earlier CM Yogi had agreed to work on our issues before holding the post but he does not want to hear our issues”, said Yadav adding `` we were left with no option except to launch state wide agitation against the government’’. He said raising our voice for issues of service matters is our democratic right and protest will escalate if our long standing demands are not addressed soon.

Yadav said that on 10 demands Lekhpal Sangh was protesting across the state. He said Lekhpal gets Rs 3.35 transportation allowance for a day while they have to run at least 100 kilometers for discharging their official duties. The grade pay for Lekhpal service was Rs 2,000, we are demanding to the grade pay of Rs 2,800. He said the Lekhpal Sangh has also demanded from the state government to change the name of `Lekhpal’ to ‘revenue sub-inspector’ which the government has refused to accept.

Lekhpal sangh president said that we can move to court if government if we do not get justice from the government. “We work hard for implementation of all government schemes at village level, we are overburdened with plethora of official duties yet instead of support from the government we are being victimized by the government,” he pointed out.

Over 2000 Lekhpal have been suspected in UP