Revenue officers call off strike after govt assurance

Amritsar, June 8

Tehsils remained closed on Wednesday owing to the strike call given by the Punjab Revenue Officers’ Association. It was eventually called off by the evening following an assurance of the government.

Clerical staff, talmel committee, Revenue Patwar Union and Revenue Kanungo Association also extended support to the strike. A joint delegation handed over a memorandum, addressed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in this regard to the DC.

Harpreet Singh Kohli, convener of the talmel committee, said they were on strike to convey to the government that they would not tolerate threats being issued to those who have been on strike for the past nearly a week. The government had issued a letter stating that the norm of ‘no work no pay’ would be introduced, which they opposed by joining the protest.

The revenue offices, including that of tehsildars and naib tehsildars, were closed due to the strike and visitors had no option but to return without getting their works done.

Work hit in Tarn Taran as well

Tarn Taran: The pen-down strike by patwaris, kanungos, employees of the DC and SDM offices in support of the Revenue Department officers paralysed normal work in most of the offices in the district on Wednesday. The officers of the Revenue Department were already on mass casual leave till Wednesday against the suspension of four officers at the state level for certain irregularities. The patwaris and kanungos jointly marched towards the office of Deputy Commissioner Moneesh Kumar and submitted a memorandum in the name of the state government regarding their demands. Sarabjit Singh Sandhu, district president of the Patwar Union, and Puran Singh of the Kanungo Association, led the delegation that went to submit the memorandum. They said the state government had threated them against supporting the agitation, which was just to censure the voice of the agitating officials. The leaders confirmed that they would go on supporting the agitation of officers of the Revenue Department ignoring the warnings of the state government. The organisations demanded to accede to all current demands of the Revenue Department officers and the employees. Meanwhile, the general public which came to the offices for their work had to face harassment. The DC has appealed to all patwaris and kanungos to cooperate with the state government. OC

We were on strike to convey to the government that we will not tolerate threats being issued to those who have been on strike for the past nearly a week. The government had issued a letter stating that the norm of ‘no work no pay’ will be introduced, which we opposed by joining the protest. — Harpreet Singh Kohli, convener, talmel committee