10 months on, rural watchmen await pay

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 11

A district-level delegation of the Rural Watchmen today met District Revenue officer Mukesh Kumar under the leadership of former MLA Tarsem Jodhan and Amarnath Koomkalan, both CITU leaders. The delegation gave a memorandum of their demands to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal through District Revenue Officer.

Tarsem Jodhan said at present, the government had been giving them a salary of merely Rs 800 per month and it’s been 10 months, even this amount of salary had not been released.

The watchmen demanded that their salary should be raised to Rs 15,000 per month, they should be given the right of issuing death and birth certificates and they should be covered under pension and other social welfare schemes. Also, the rural watchmen should be given five-marla plots and should be given financial assistance along with facilities of ESI. The delegation demanded that rural watchmen should not be treated like slaves.

Listening to this, District Revenue Officer assured them that their salary of the last 10 months would be released today itself and their memorandum of demands will be sent to the Chief Minister.