PCS officers observe pen-down strike

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 11

The work at various government offices was badly hit as 19 PCS officers of the Ludhiana district observed the one-day pen-down strike here today. Wearing black ribbons in protest at the Ludhiana Circuit House, the PCS officers said they were feeling insecure due to the increase in the incidents of violence and illegal confinement of officers and no action was taken against the accused persons. They urged the government to increase their security as several officials were allegedly held hostage in the past six months.

The officers said some persons had made the Zira SDM hostage and they also attempted to throw him along with his car in the river, but the accused were not arrested. The two officers were held hostage in Dhuri while similar incidents had been reported from other areas too, they added.

A group of persons had laid siege to the office of MC’s Joint Commissioner Manjit Singh Cheema (PCS) over two months ago. Cheema said he had been targeted twice and he had also written a complaint to lodge an FIR against the accused but no action was taken till date.

PCS officer Iqbal Singh Sandhu (ADC Ludhiana) said PCS officers were being targeted at various locations. 

On being asked to comment on Batala Civil Hospital incident wherein LIP Chief and MLA Simarjit Singh Bains allegedly misbehaved with the Gurdaspur DC, ADC Sandhu cleared that their pen-down strike was not against this incident. But, the language which the MLA used with the Gurdaspur DC was inappropriate, he said.

Raikot/ Payal: The PCS Officers Association (EB) Punjab has also urged the government to ensure that sheen and esteem of their designated posts is saved from undesirable attacks by certain politicians who had no respect for their (officers) duties and rights as prescribed in the Constitution of India. "It is regretted that our long-pending genuine demands of PCS Officers have not been accepted and implemented despite assurance from the state government for over a year," read memorandum signed by PCS Officers of the Malwa region.