THE HINDU 08-01-2014 (Page 4)

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Around 1,300 technical officers across DRDO labs in the country will go on mass casual and relay hunger strike on January 9 and 10 in protest against the withdrawal of grade pay of Rs. 4,800, which they claim resulted in downgrading of their positions.

As a result of the downgrading, technical officers of some of the labs were losing each month financially amounts varying from Rs.1,000 to Rs.5,000, according to G. Vidyanand Reddy, president, DRDO Technical Officers Association.

Describing the administration’s action as one-sided and undemocratic, the association said if not opposed, it would affect the democratic functioning of DRDO and fail the system.