Over 10,000 Gujarat revenue employees begin indefinite strike, public services halts

GANDHINAGAR: More than 10,000 Gujarat revenue employees have walked off the job, bringing several essential government services to a standstill and leaving citizens scrambling for certificates, land records and welfare benefits. The indefinite strike began on Wednesday after a mass casual leave protest failed to get a positive response from the government.

The strike has hit services such as income and caste certificates, widow assistance applications, inheritance registrations, land document processing and e-Dhara operations.

The Gujarat State Revenue Employees’ Association said the strike would continue until the government addresses its long-pending service and administrative demands.

Students, citizens bear the brunt

The impact was immediately visible across major districts. In Surat, students seeking postgraduate admission faced difficulties on the final day of the admission process because revenue-related certificates could not be processed.

Around 500 revenue employees in Surat, including Deputy Mamlatdars, clerks and Revenue Talatis, joined the pen-down strike. Operations at the Collector’s office, Prant offices and Mamlatdar offices were affected.

City Survey work and other land-related services were also disrupted.

In Rajkot, around 450 employees from Mamlatdar offices, Prant offices and the Collector’s office joined the agitation.

“We always attend to public work, even on holidays and beyond office hours. We ensure that people do not face difficulties,” said Manish Gidhwani, General Secretary of the Rajkot Revenue Employees’ Association.

“However, our reasonable demands have not been addressed. We were forced to strike, and we regret the inconvenience caused to citizens. The agitation will continue until there is a positive decision,” he said.

14 demands remain unresolved

The association said employees have repeatedly submitted memorandums and held discussions with the government over 14 major demands.

Ramesh Patel, President of the Vadodara Revenue Employees’ Association, said employees had already waited beyond a 30-day period given for resolving the issues.

“We have made repeated representations and submitted memorandums. Despite the 30-day period, our demands remain unresolved. Therefore, we have started an indefinite strike,” Patel said.

Emergency, election work exempted

In Gandhinagar, revenue employees also joined the statewide agitation. However, election-related duties have been kept outside the strike because municipal election work is currently underway.

Vijayrajsinh Jadeja, a Revenue Talati in Gandhinagar district, said emergency services would also continue.

The federation has urged Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the Revenue Minister to intervene and resolve the dispute.

It said revenue employees regularly support government schemes and administrative work and sought a fair decision under existing government rules.