President of the State Revenue Class III Employees' Federation Shantibhai Patel said that more than 10,000 employees in State continued to be on indefinite strike, even as a meeting between Revenue Minister Vajubhai Vala and employees' leaders has been scheduled for Friday morning.

Principal secretary to the Chief Minister P K Lehri told Express Newsline that the leaders had been invited for a meeting and he hoped for an early solution and an end to their strike by Friday. Meanwhile, in Vadodara, leaders of the district unit of the federation including Natwarsinh Vansdiya said the strike would continue if the meeting did not bear fruit. The employees are, among others, demanding promotion of class II employees to the post of deputy mamlatdar and filling of vacancies. The employees also staged a demonstration in front of collectorate and shouted slogans against the government.

However, the worst-hit was the general public which had to run from pillar to post to get their work done. According to Federation sources, those seeking dying declarations, and immediate clearance of ration cards and pension cases were the most affected.

Fifty-year-old S M Prajapati, an employee of L & T, Ranoli, complained that he was in dire need of a ration card and couldn't get one despite repeated visits. Sixty-year-old Chandubhai Shah, who had come from Gotri for a pension form, too, had to return empty-handed.