Contractual employees block Malout-Bathinda highway

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 23

A large number of contractual employees, working in different government departments, today blocked the Malout-Bathinda highway at Bharu Chowk in Gidderbaha demanding regular jobs.

The protesting employees, under the banner of Theka Mulazam Sangharsh Morcha, had earlier announced to lodge their protest at Lambi village. However, police personnel allegedly did not allow them to assemble there, uprooted their tents and also confiscated the public address system.

The protesters alleged that some of their activists, including Harjeet Singh Jeeda, Bhagat Singh Bhagta and Rattanjot Sharma, were detained by the police from Lambi village in the morning.

Virpal Kaur said “The police did not even allow us to lodge a peaceful protest at Lambi village. A number of nakas were laid on the main roads and buses were frisked so that no protester reaches Lambi village. As we were not allowed to protest there, we have blocked the road here in Gidderbaha. We demand unconditional release of our activists at the earliest or the stir will be intensified,” she added.

Notably, some farmer unions too have come out in support of the contractual employees

Meanwhile, Lambi SHO Buta Singh said “The employees did not have permission to assemble or lodge protest at Lambi village, thus they were dispersed. No employee has been detained by us.”

The protest, which had started around 1 pm, was lifted around 7.30 pm.