Chief Minister Manohar Joshi stayed away from the hullabaloo all day, attending functions in Navi Mumbai and Kalyan, and so did his deputy Gopinath Munde, as the state headquarters resounded with unparliamentary slogans like ``Gopya Gopya, Lavto Topya,'' (Gopya -- used for Munde -- is cheating), ``Kon Mhanato Denar Nahi, Ghetlyashivay Rahnar Nahi,'' (Who's refusing to pay? We'll get what we want).

Today's dharna saw greater participation of government workers, as those in the New Administrative Building too joined in large numbers. Zonal deputy police commissioner K L Bishnoi had to post additional police force and a platoon of the State Reserve Police in and around Mantralaya.

At around 11 am, the workers gathered on the ground floor and began moving towards Joshi's chamber. Butpolice, alerted by yesterday's experience, prevented them from climbing the stairs. The employees then squatted in the Mantralaya porch and raised anti-government slogans.

Police soon closed all entrances to Mantralaya and didn't allow any more employees to join in, but those who couldn't reach the porch stood in the corridors and on the terrace to express their solidarity.

Most departments were empty, as numerous employees left for home under the pretext of joining the dharna, and visitors from all over the state, who come to Mantralaya to get their problems solved, had to return empty-handed because they weren't allowed to enter.

In the CM's absence, Minister of State for Home Prabhakar More met the employees' delegation and assured them he would request Joshi to take up the matter in the Cabinet meeting on October 6, 1998. But the employees said they would continued their agitation till the CM assured he would fulfil their demands.

A Cabinet minister told Express Newsline the dharna had beenvideotaped, and the tape would be shown to all department heads. They would be asked to identify employees from their department, and disciplinary action would be taken against them, the minister said. High-ranking officials expressed displeasure about the stir and said employees shouldn't hold the public to ransom.

A press release from Mantralaya also said no sub-committee had been appointed to study the Fifth Pay Commission's recommendations, as reported by a section of the press, and the implementation wouldn't be delayed.