Punjab CM's threat works, PCS officers end stir

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, January 11

PCS officers withdrew their protest and resumed duties after a meeting with top officers of the Punjab Government today. The issue of the officers proceeding on mass casual leave in protest had put the government functioning in a limbo and its resolution was an acid test for the Aam Aadmi Party government.

The resumption of duty by the PCS officers was followed by several other unions of employees of the state government, including the Punjab Revenue Officers Union and the Confederation of Associations of Excise and Taxation Department, withdrawing their strike and joining duties this afternoon. The protest, in the form of employees proceeding on mass casual leave, was held since Monday against the registration of a case and arrest of a PCS officer, Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, last week.

However, the protest withdrawal was not smooth. Though the issue was almost resolved late last night, the PCS Officers Association was to discuss the issue with its members and then decide on the withdrawal of the protest.

However, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann tweeting that strict action would be taken against the striking employees if they failed to join duty by 2 pm, followed by a letter from Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua to all PCS officers, warning them of strict disciplinary action and suspension from service, which could hamper their promotions, the protesting PCS officers felt that in order to build its own image, the government had tried to “defame them”.

This led to many officers openly expressing their displeasure, as they converged for a meeting in the Chief Minister’s office, and openly aired their views that the protest should continue. “When the CM is listening to their grievances and is assuring that no injustice will be done, why should they go on leave. We will have to deal with them sternly,” the Chief Secretary said.

The president of the PCS Officers Association, Rajat Oberoi, who was originally supposed to meet A Venu Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM, at 10.30 am, finally met him at noon. He sought time to discuss the issue with other members of their association and the Revenue Officers Association and inform them of the government’s proposal to end the stalemate. The government proposed that a committee of officers, both from the civil and police side, headed by the Chief Secretary, would look into the matter of PCS officers Tarsem Chand and Narinder Dhaliwal and Sandeep Kumar (Naib Tehsildar), who, these associations claim, were falsely implicated by the Vigilance Bureau.

A six-member committee of these officers — Rajat Oberoi, Sukhpreet Sidhu, Ankur Mahendroo, Harjit Singh, Sakattar Singh Bal and Pooja Sayal — then met Prasad and Special Principal Secretary to the CM Ravi Bhagat and the issue was finally resolved.

Staff back to work

• Mass casual leave protest by officers had put AAP government functioning in a limbo
• The protesters resumed their duties after a meeting with top officers of the state government on Wednesday

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