20 members of PGI joint action panel detained, released later
Twenty members of the Joint Action Committee, PGI, which had gathered peacefully at the PGI gate today to march towards the rally ground, Sector 25, Chandigarh, to hold a protest, were detained by the police. The protest was meant to highlight the harassment of contract workers, including the termination of services of four security guards, notices to 33 contractual workers and their forced transfers.
As soon as the contract employees gathered outside the PGI gate after completing their duties, Chandigarh Police from Sector 11 police post intervened and detained more than 20 contractual employees.
The committee members said they had informed the DC, SSP, DSP (Central) and PGI administration about the protest. Earlier, the PGI administration had invited committee members at 12.30 pm for discussions through a telephone message from the office of MS Vipin Kaushal.
Meanwhile, the remaining of the protesters marched to Sector 25 around 5 pm and burnt an effigy of Pankaj Rai, Deputy-Director (Administration) and Ranjit Singh Bhogal, in charge, security wing, PGI. Later, the detained contractual employees were also released. The committee has now decided to hold its next meeting on February 11.
