Punjab Employees Escalate Protest, Tear Up Government Notices at Secretariat
Chandigarh, August 28: Protesting Punjab government employees intensified their agitation on Thursday as a group gathered on the seventh floor of the Punjab Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh during lunch hours and tore up copies of government notices and letters issued in connection with their mass casual leave.
The incident came amid a statewide “Maha Hartal” by more than three lakh government employees and pensioners over their long-pending demands, including the release of dearness allowance (DA) dues.
Protesters Raise Slogans Against Punjab Government
The demonstrations were organised on the call of the Joint Coordination Committee, formed by the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and the Sanjha Mulazam Manch, Punjab.
Protests were also held at the Punjab Civil Secretariat and district headquarters across the state. Employees raised slogans against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state government, accusing it of avoiding dialogue with employee representatives and failing to resolve their demands.
The latest protests followed the statewide mass casual leave observed by government employees on August 27 as part of their ongoing agitation.
Employees Demand Implementation of DA Directions
Union leaders accused the government of adopting an “arrogant and indifferent” attitude towards employees.
They demanded the immediate implementation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s directions regarding payment of dearness allowance (DA) and urged the government to initiate talks with employee representatives.
The escalation marks another phase in the ongoing confrontation between Punjab government employees and the state government, with unions maintaining that their demands have remained unresolved for a long time.