Punjab govt employees' protest: No talks until letter by govt is withdrawn, says sanjha morcha chief Sukhchain Khaira
PTC Web Desk: Punjab government employees’ ongoing protest has taken a sharper turn, with Sanjha Mulazam Manch Punjab president Sukhchain Singh Khaira announcing that employees will not hold any meeting with the state government until the recent letter issued against protesting employees is withdrawn.
Speaking to PTC News, Khaira said the employees’ unions have decided to continue their agitation instead of entering into talks with the government at this stage. He said several important decisions will be taken at a meeting scheduled in Ludhiana tomorrow.
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Khaira said the employees were unhappy with the government’s decision to seek details of staff members who remained absent from duty during the recent Maha Hartal.
He alleged that the government was sending mixed signals by talking about negotiations on one hand while simultaneously preparing lists of employees and considering action against those who participated in the protest.
“Instead of holding a meeting with the government, we will now intensify our struggle,” Khaira said, adding that a separate front could also be opened against the Chief Secretary over the issue.
Khaira also questioned the circumstances under which the order was issued. He alleged that either the Chief Secretary was not on the same page as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann or that instructions were coming from outside the government.
According to him, the action against employees has further increased resentment among government workers who are already protesting over their pending demands.
Addressing reports about a possible “digital strike”, Khaira clarified that employees had not carried out any such digital strike.
He said whenever government employees formally decide to go on strike, they would completely stop work.
Khaira described reports about a digital strike as rumours and said the employees’ organisations would announce their future course of action collectively.
The latest developments came after lakhs of Punjab government employees and pensioners participated in a day-long protest under the banner of a ‘Maha Hartal’.
The employees have been raising several demands and have stepped up their agitation against the Punjab government.
The scale the recent protest prompted the state government to take steps to identify employees who were absent from duty without authorisation.
Govt seeks lists of absent employees
Amid the protest, the Department of Personnel directed administrative secretaries and heads of departments to prepare lists of employees who did not report for duty without authorised leave.
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The order said complaints had been received that members of the public were facing inconvenience because government officials were not attending their offices.
The departments were asked to compile details of such employees and submit the lists to the Department of General Administration.
The move has now become a major point of contention between the government and employee organisations, with union leaders warning that any punitive action could further intensify the agitation.
Khaira said the employees’ organisations would meet in Ludhiana tomorrow to discuss the situation and decide their next course of action.
He made it clear that the focus at present would be on strengthening the protest rather than holding talks with the government.
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- PTC NEWS
