MC workers stall work, go on indefinite strike

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 25

Members of the municipal workers union went on an indefinite strike over the recommendation of the suspension of SDO Rajinder Kumar by Mayor Balwant Rai Nath in proceedings of the general house meeting held on April 20.

During the meeting, the councillor from Ward Number 42, Pardeep Kumar Gola, had demanded suspension of the SDO over deliberately ignoring elected representative’s complaint by not acting on it.

Irked over the issue, all MCB officials and workers staged a protest at the gate of the MCB office. They raised slogans against Pardeep Kumar Gola.

They also demanded that the proceedings of the meeting, which have been sent to the Local Bodies Department, should be called back and the recommendation to suspend the SDO should be rescinded.

The members announced that till the time their demands were not fulfilled, their strike would continue.

MCB workers kept the work suspended throughout the protest. Only public service work such as sewerage-water bills and property tax payments was carried on at the Suvidha Centre. The union declared that from Thursday, all work would be suspended and no payment of bills would be allowed.

In the general house meeting held on April 20, councillors had raised objection over the working of officials, after which officials and elected representative have been at loggerheads.

MCB officials, along with workers, also lodged their protest with the Municipal Commissioner and Mayor.

They alleged that elected representatives deliberately insulted them in the general house meeting and without any reason, raised serious allegations against them.

Despite assurance given by the Mayor and Commissioner for resolving the issue, recommendation of suspension during the meeting escalated the issue.

Union president Kailash Sharma said, “If the Mayor wanted, he would have talked to councillors and officials and would have proposed warning instead of suspension in the proceedings sent to the Local Bodies Department in Chandigarh. The issue would have resolved peacefully, but now he had exaggerated it.”

The union members also submitted a demand letter to the Mayor in which they have stated that incidents of targeting officials in the general house meeting without any substantial reason have increased.

The issue of demolition a ramp has been triggered the demand suspension of the SDO.

Paras Ram Nagar resident Narrotamdas also participated in the MC workers protest and raised allegation against councillor Pardeep Kumar Gola that he was demanding Rs 10,000 per month and when the former refused to give him, the latter filed a complaint of breaking his shop ramp.

He also alleged that Gola took money from drugs sellers in the area.

Councillor Pardeep Kumar Gola said staging protest was a right of MCB officials.

He said in the meeting, not only he complained against the SDO, but other councillors also lodged a complaint.

In the proceedings, it is written that the full house has taken the decision.

Speaking on the allegations raised by Narotamdas, Gola said the former should prove the charges against him or he would file a defamation case against him.