Kolkata, Feb 20 (IANS): West Bengal government employees observing the two-day pen-down strike from Monday in demand of the payment of dearness allowance (DA) arrears, adopted a unique strategy on the first day to dodge the caution of dies non (service break) while continuing with their protests.

The state government employees at different offices including state Secretariat 'Nabanna' reached office in time, and marked their attendance but kept themselves away from their regular duties including clearing of files.

According to a forum office bearer, as per the notification from the state Finance Department issued on Saturday, those remaining absent from office on Monday and Tuesday will have to face service break unless they can cite satisfactory reasons for their absence in reply to the show cause notice to be issued in case of absence.

"The state Finance Department seems to have equated pen-down strike from general strike. We are not going for a general strike and hence, we are attending office but putting our pens down. The agitation on the streets of Kolkata demanding out legitimate dues has been continuing for quite some time. If that does not work out, we will intensify our pace of agitations," an office bearer of the joint forum of state government employees observing the two- day pen down strike said.

However, the section of the state government employees whose association is affiliated to ruling Trinamool Congress attended and performed their regular duties. They also thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for announcing three per cent additional DA on February 15.

The joint forum has already described this three per cent additional DA as farce and pointed out that even after this the gap of the state government employees with that of their counterparts in the Union government remains 32 per cent.

Besides the state government employees, a section of school and college teachers as well the staff in different district courts also participated in the pen-down strike on its first day on Monday.