Perturbed over dilly-dallying tactics, ANMs block traffic in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 1

Failing to get any response from the state government regarding their demand for regularisation, the Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANMs) blocked traffic on the Bhandari Bridge here on Wednesday evening.

The ANM Union had earlier staged a protest outside the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Om Parkash Soni as per a call given by it earlier.

However, as none from the district administration or the office of the Deputy CM went to meet the protesting ANMs, the desperate employees decided to intensify the stir and block traffic.

An ANM said: “We have been protesting for regularisation of services for the past several years. Every time in meetings, the ministers and officials promise regularisation and forget afterwards.” She said they were working at meagre salaries and some of them have grown old hoping that someday they would get regular jobs.

The ANMs received instant support from a few farmers’ associations who participated in the road blockade along with them. At the time of filing of this report, a senior district health official was trying to persuade protesters to submit their memorandum and lift the blockade.

Tripta Kumar, a leader of the ANM Union, said: “We are not here to submit any more memorandums. We have submitted countless memorandums and held hundreds of meetings. Now, we will lift the protest only after getting appointment letters.” She said their only demand was regularisation of their jobs, for which they have decided to fight till the end.

Meanwhile, junior resident doctors-cum-postgraduate students at Government Medical College continued with their protest for the third consecutive day and boycotted OPD services for two hours. The PG students are demanding from the government to expedite the admission process, so that the new batch can join as soon as possible.

The PG students reasoned that in the absence of the new batch, their workload has increased, as a result of which their academics was suffering.