‘Pol Khol’ rally brings traffic to halt

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 13

Teachers associated with the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha took out a massive “Pol Khol” rally here on Saturday, throwing traffic out of gear. 

The protest march brought the city to a complete standstill for an hour. Motorists, PRTC buses and an ambulance were seen stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic jams.

As a precautionary measure, the police had blocked all roads leading to the Fountain Chowk, where teachers were staging the protest, demanding full pay scale. 

Commuters alleged the harassment due to the protest near Dukhinwaran Gurudwara, Leela Bhawan and Fountain Chowk. 

A motorist, said, “I am stuck in the traffic jam for an hour. Traffic police should have issued an advisory regarding the protest in the city.”

Satish Kumar, a city resident, said, “The district administration should not allow any protest to take place inside the city. Residents are facing inconvenience due to these protests every second day. The state government should find out some alternative to solve this issue.”

City turns into a virtual fortress

Patiala turned into a virtual fortress on Saturday with 2,000 security personnel, including 400 commandos and 500 female constables, deployed in the city. All roads leading to the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh were barricaded.