Patna, Jan. 6: Non-gazetted state employees in Bihar boycotted the second phase of the election training programme ? which began today ? and dared the government to arrest them for their refusal to comply with the Election Commission?s order.

The poll panel, on the other hand, gave the employees more time to take a decision and asked them to resume work from January 12.

Rumours are strife that the government might consider raising the retirement age from 58 to 60, which has been the main demand of the striking employees.

Representatives of three organisations ? Bihar Rajya Sarkari-Ardh Sarkari Sevakarmi Samyukth Morcha, Bihar Sachivalaya Seva Sangh and Bihar Rajya Arajpatrit Karamchari Mahasangh ? met chief minister Rabri Devi today to discuss the matter. However, the talks failed to provide a solution and the two sides are expected to meet tomorrow again.

The government is apparently under pressure to end the deadlock over the strike. State labour minister Upendra Prasad Varma seemed to put the ball in the chie f minister?s court when he said, ?The solution lies with the chief minister. A political decision has to be arrived at, which will help us tide over the crisis and not make us do anything against the interests of the employees.?

The organisations spearheading the agitation also condemned the poll panel?s ?undemocratic move? and warned it not to cross the laxmanrekha.

The poll panel had on Tuesday appealed to the striking employees to end their agitation in view of the coming Assembly elections in the state.

The second phase of the training programme began today and will continue till January 10. The employees, as announced yesterday, held demonstrations in Patna and other places where the training programme was to be held.

On the 27th day of the strike today, about 50,000 more state employees, including government drivers and private secretaries in various departments, joined the indefinite strike. Teachers? associations, however, decided to stay away from the agitation.

?We are compelled to to do this because the Rabri Devi government has failed miserably to implement the agreement of 1999,? said Rambali Prasad, general secretary of the morcha.

The government has already agreed to meet some of the demands, including the merger of 50 per cent dearness allowance with basic pay and the provision of benefits, which central employees get.

The strike has also seriously affected the state pulse polio campaign, scheduled to run from January 9 to 13. The government has been forced to call it off due to the strike.