Procurement staff in Punjab on strike over graft cases

Moga, November 24

Employees of state-owned foodgrain procurement agencies on Thursday went on a strike in all districts over their demand for the withdrawal of corruption cases registered against some officials by the Vigilance Bureau (VB) in the past few months. The protesters alleged that the VB was harassing employees of state procurement agencies.

The union president, Rajwant Singh Walia, said, “All employees of Punsup, Pungrain, Markfed and the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation have stopped work in all districts

from today.”

He warned that if the state government did not withdraw cases registered against officials of these agencies, they would intensify their stir across the state.

The work of all food agencies has almost come to a standstill in all districts due to the strike. The movement of foodgrains, distribution of wheat among people through the public distribution system and procurement of foodgrains has been affected by the strike.