Pharmacists to hold protest on March 6

Amritsar, March 2

The Punjab State Pharmacy Officers’ Association has announced that its members would hold a protest at the district headquarters on March 6 in protest against Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh stating that he was not serious about fulfilling the already accepted demands of the employees.

Association leader Ashok Kumar Sharma said they would also submit a memorandum to the district administration regarding their demands. He said the government has not fulfilled its promise of reviving the old pension scheme despite it having published advertisements in this regard.

He said a large number of posts of pharmacy officers and other cadres of the Health Department had been lying vacant, which has not only affected treatment being given to patients but also increased the workload on the employees.

Palwinder Singh Dhammu, general secretary of the association, said a meeting of the union was held here on Saturday to take stock of the preparations being made for the protest. He said the entire cadre of pharmacists would join the protest.

Dhammu said the Health Minister was not paying attention to their demands and on the contrary, efforts were being made to reverse some accepted demands and the applicable decisions.

“The government had earlier accepted many of our demands and assured us of issuing notifications in this regard. Now the government is trying to break its promises, which would not be tolerated,” he said.

Others present in the meeting included Shamsher Singh Kohri, Karan Singh Lopoke, Rashpal Singh Kahlon, Jaspal Singh Kot Khalsa, Virinder Singh, Gurmail Singh Mananwala, Gurinder Singh Khalsa and others.