Pensioners protest govt's 'verbal order' not to clear their duesheir dues

Employees and pensioners of the state government hold a demonstration in front of the District Treasury Office here on Thursday. They were protesting against the government’s verbal orders to the treasury office staff not to make payments of dues to employees and pensioners.

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The protesters burnt an effigy of the Punjab Finance Minister and submitted a memorandum of their demands to the District Treasury Officer (DTO) in the name of the Punjab Chief Minister. The demonstration was organised on the joint call of the Punjab Subordinate Services’ Federation and the Punjab Pensioners’ Association.

Karaj Singh Kairoin, Gurpreet Singh Gandiwind, Sarwan Singh Koharka and other leaders addressed on the occasion and condemned the state government for its alleged wrong policies. They alleged that this move has exposed the financial position of the state government, which is not in a position to make payment of the dues to employees and pensioners.

The leaders said retired employees were not being paid their payment, revised earned leave, payment of the GPF and other dues. They said the DTOs were neither clearing the bills submitted to their offices nor making other payments to retirees.

They expressed their anguish as the payment of the arrears of the Sixth Pay Commission was not being made to them. They said the employees and the pensioners were taking 13 per cent less as compared to Union Government employees and the pensioners.

They condemned the state government for not accepting their other demands.