New Delhi: The administrative staff of All India Radio and Doordarshan across the country today went on one-day mass casual leave in protest against disparity in the pay scales in Prasar Bharti.

More than 5,000 employees across various DD and AIR kendras submitted their leave applications.

"We had meeting with the top officials and CEO of Prasar Bharti. Their response was positive but our past experience on promises has not been good. So we decided to take action," Sangam Thakur, General Secretary, Akashvani and Doordarshan Administrative Staff Association, told PTI.

"The broadcasting services will not be directly affected but the day-to-day logistics and support services will be," Thakur said.

The grievance of the administrative employees is that the engineering and programme employees were being given higher pay scale for working in Prasar Bharti on the ground that they have been completely absorbed with the broadcaster. On the other hand, the administrative employees, continue to be on "deemed deputation" with the broadcaster and were getting lesser pay.

"This is discrimination," Thakur said. "Our services have not been fully transfered from the government as required under the Prasar Bharti Act, 1990." Prasar Bharti CEO B S Lalli was not immediately available for comment. 

Source : PTI