Govt staff plan stir in poll-bound segments

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/fazilka, Oct 13

As the poll process in the four Assembly constituencies is reaching its peak, state government employees have decided to intensify their stir in these constituencies against the non-fulfillment of their demands.

While the Pensioners Association of Punjab with the support of Employees Forum of Punjab and UT will be holding a protest rally at Mukerian tomorrow, the forum will also be protesting at Dakha on October 16. They are demanding the release of their dearness allowance instalments and arrears, besides early finalisation of the sixth pay commission for employees and pensioners.

On the other hand, Revenue Patwar Union of Punjab, will be holding a protest at Phagwara on October 15, where patwaris from neighbouring districts will protest against the government decision to recruit retired patwaris to fill vacancies, and the inability of the government to remove anomalies in pay scales of patwaris recruited between January 1986 and December 1995.

Meanwhile, the high-profile Jalalabad constituency has turned into a rallying point for agitating employees as bigwigs of all major political parties are busy campaigning here. Employees feel that it is the right time to highlight their long-pending demands which otherwise remain unnoticed by those who are at the helm of affairs.

Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot persuaded activists of the MGNREGA Employees’ Union to end their indefinite hunger strike on Saturday. He pacified them by getting two suspended employees reinstated. The two employees had been sacked by the Fazilka administration last year on the allegation of misappropriation of funds.

Patwaris from six districts staged a rally in Jalalabad on Saturday over pay anomalies and other demands.

Nursing students of Baba Farid University, Faridkot, staged a protest outside the Jalalabad civil hospital on Saturday, demand recruitment to fill vacant posts.

The Berozgar ETT-TET Pass Adhayapak Union also staged a protest for a couple of days, seeking jobs.

The ETT/BEd Teachers’ Joint Forum also took out a procession on Saturday for not relieving the teachers from Tarn Taran. The teachers had been transferred under the rationalisation policy by the Education Department about two months ago.

The Anganwadi Workers’ and Helpers’ Union staged an indefinite strike but ended it after the intervention of Dharamsot on October 11.

CPI activists protested against "illegal sand mining."

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Jalalabad constituency rocked by multiple protests

During a protest by the MGNREGA Employees’ Union, Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot persuaded them to end their indefinite hunger strike as he reinstated two employees who were suspended last year for ‘misappropriation of funds’. Patwaris from six districts of the state held a huge rally over pay anomalies and other demands.

Nursing students of Baba Farid University, Faridkot, protested outside the Jalalabad civil hospital, demanding filling of vacant posts.

The Berozgar ETT-TET Pass Adhayapak Union pressed for accepting of its demand for jobs. CPI activists demonstrated over illegal mining.