Employees’ state-level protest creates chaos, brings traffic to a halt in Patiala

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 29

Traffic came to a halt today as government employees from across the state gathered in the city and protested against the ruling dispensation for implementing the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and not fulfilling their other demands.

Employees protested at the new grain market on the Sirhind road here. Later, they also held a march near the Chief Minister’s residence.

There was a complete traffic jam on Sirhind Road starting from Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib upto the grain market for all day long.

Residents of Harinder Nagar and the Tripuri area had to take long detour to reach their destinations.

The protesters came to the city from Pathankot, Amritsar, Barnala, Faridkot and all other districts in buses and private vehicles, which remained parked on roadsides in the city.

The protest march that followed the show-of-strength created further traffic snarls in the city. The protesters marched from the new grain market to YPS Chowk and then through Khanda Chowk, Leela Bhawan Chowk and the Fountain Chowk area.

Later, the road connecting Sewa Singh Thikriwala Chowk and YPS Chowk also witnessed traffic jam as protesters congregated near the DPDO office where the police had barricaded the area.

The protest continued till 5.30 pm after which protesters were allowed to meet Local Bodies Minister Brahm Mohindra.