Forest Employees union to hold state-level rally on Nov 2

The members of the State Committee of Democratic Forest Employees Union, Punjab, in a meeting held here on Tuesday, announced that they would hold a state-level rally in Tarn Taran on November 2 to stress on the regularisation of their contract employees. The meeting was presided over by Rachhpal Singh Jodhanargi, state president of the union. Among those who attended the meeting were Balbir Singh Sivian, Balbir Singh Gillanwala, Harjit Kaur Samrala, Balkar Singh Bhakra, Gurpreet Singh Moga and Jagsir Singh Muktsar.

The leaders alleged that the state government has done nothing for the regularisation of these employees.

The leaders present in the meeting said that the state government was delaying the regularisation of fixed workers of the Forest Department and as per the decisions taken in the meetings with the Forest Minister, the discrepancies in the seniority list of regular workers has not been removed, which clearly means that the Punjab government was not sincere in its intention.

The leaders added that the state government has cheated by giving a mere Rs 15,000 to 884 employees instead of giving full salaries and allowances to Class IV employees. The union has called upon all the workers of the department to attend the proposed state-level rally to be held on November 2 in Tarn Taran where an Assembly by-election is due.