PCS officers’ strike brings work to halt

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 11

Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officers daylong pen-down strike on Wednesday in protest against the increase in the incidents of violence against them brought the work in government offices to a standstill.

More than 275 PCS officers wore black badges to protest 10 incidents of violence and illegal confinement of their colleagues by protesting organisations in the past two months. The immediate trigger for the protest was the gherao of Zira SDM by a farmers’ organisation when he was overseeing the flood-relief operations last week. The protesters had threatened to throw his car into an overflowing river.

The PCS Officers’ Association also cited incidents at Dhuri, Nihal Singh Wala, Moga and Ludhiana, saying these were becoming a routine affair.

As a result of the strike, the work in all tehsil offices of Punjab remained suspended. No registration of deeds was done neither any affidavits were signed on Wednesday. Even, no SDM courts were working across the state.

The association said though they had taken up the matter with the Chief Secretary and Chief Principal Secretary, no effort to redress their grievances was made, forcing them to take this step.

“This is a daylong protest but if no action is taken, we will be forced to intensify the stir,” said Rajiv Gupta, president of the association. He said their other grievances regarding pay anomaly and lack of benefits, including air-conditioned cars and better security cover, were also pending. Gupta said a 15-day ultimatum had been given to the higher authorities to resolve our issues, failing which they would decide on the future course of action.