Punjab Bandh on August 27: Employees, pensioners plan statewide protest over pending demands
PTC Web Desk: Punjab government employees and pensioners are set to intensify their protest over long-pending demands, with employee and pensioner organisations backing a Punjab Bandh on August 27.
A special meeting of the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and organisations associated with the Punjab Joint Employees Platform was held in Ajnala, where leaders discussed preparations for the bandh and chalked out a strategy to ensure maximum participation.
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Among the key demands raised by the organisations are the release of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) instalments, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme, salary scales on the Central Government pattern and withdrawal of orders relating to the three-year probation period for newly recruited employees.
The organisations also demanded implementation of a decision passed by the High Court's Division Bench.
Leaders said employees from various government departments would participate in the strike on August 27. Employees of schools, colleges, the electricity department, SDM offices, tehsils and other government offices have been urged to participate in the bandh.
The unions said the protest is aimed at pressing the government to address the concerns of employees and pensioners instead of keeping their demands pending.
A major protest programme has also been planned in Ajnala on August 27. According to the organisations, employees will gather near the SDM office in Ajnala after taking leave from their duties and raise slogans against what they described as the Punjab government's anti-employee policies.
A rally will be held at the location, following which the organisations are expected to discuss the next phase of their agitation.
Employee and pensioner leaders said the agitation would not be limited to a single day and would continue until their legitimate demands are addressed.
They appealed to employees and pensioners across Punjab to participate in the August 27 bandh in large numbers. The leaders warned that if the government fails to take concrete steps to resolve the issues, the agitation could be intensified in the coming days.
- PTC NEWS
