Salary cheques held up, MC sanitation workers protest

Our Correspondent

Abohar, September 24

Daljit Singh Tinna, BJP president of south mandal, landed himself in trouble by allegedly holding on to the salary cheques of Municipal Council sanitation workers.

Members of Safai Sewak Union staged a dharna and shouted slogans against Tinna and executive officer Vijay Jindal in the council complex.

They said that MC president Pramil Kalani had few days back appealed to them to end their 10-day-long strike. He had promised that salary cheques would be issued within two days.

On Thursday, the MC offices were closed due to holiday. Jindal reportedly told the accounts clerk to come to his native place in Mansa and get the cheques signed. But the EO didn’t sign the cheques on that day.

When the union leaders protested, the EO on Friday delivered the signed cheques to an employee but Tinna took those in his possession saying that he would get those countersigned by president Kalani.

Dalit councillor Dharamvir Malkat of the BJP told Tinna to deliver the cheques but Tinna refused and allegedly misbehaved with him. This triggered a protest with sanitation workers striking work and sitting on dharna.

Malkat has sought an apology from his party leader. “We will demand action against Tinna if he does not tender an apology,” Malkat said.

Tinna denied having insulted anybody but admitted that he had taken the cheques in possession but could not get those countersigned by Kalani as the latter could not be contacted.

EO Jindal feigned ignorance about Tinna holding on to the cheques and asserted that the problem might have erupted as Tinna could not meet president Kalani.