Even though the student protest at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi has ended, the Punjab government continues to face a series of protests, with unemployed youth, power employees and sanitation workers intensifying their agitations over pending demands.
One of the major protests on Sunday was led by the Berozgar Sanjha Morcha Punjab, which organised a rally from the deputy commissioner’s office in Sangrur to Dreamland Colony on the Sangrur-Patiala state highway, where Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann owns a property. The Morcha has been staging a permanent dharna outside the Sangrur DC office since December 25 last year, and Sunday marked the 214th day of the protest.
The protesters were stopped by the police before they could reach the gated colony, where heavy barricading had been put in place.
Sukhjinder Singh, Convenor of the Morcha, said, “Our protest outside the DC office continues as normal, but our one-day symbolic protest march to gherao the CM house was for Sunday afternoon only. We were stopped short of the gated colony as heavy barricades have been set up outside the colony. We scuffled with police officers as they stopped us from marching ahead.”
During the confrontation, two protesters fell unconscious due to the humid weather while scuffling with the police. They later regained consciousness and were stated to be stable.
The protesters said they have been invited for another round of talks with a panel of ministers in Chandigarh on July 29.
“We were given yet another meeting with a panel of ministers on July 29 at Chandigarh in which three ministers – Dr Balbir Singh, Dr Baljit Kaur and Harjot Singh Bains – will be part of the meeting. If nothing works out, we will stage a protest at the state-level function on the martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh at Sunam on July 31,” Sukhjinder Singh added.
Among the Morcha’s key demands is a five-year enhancement in the upper age limit for government jobs from the existing 37 years for the general category and 42 years for reserved categories. The protesters are also demanding that the minimum graduation marks required for recruitment to master cadre teaching posts be reduced to match the BEd eligibility criteria – 45 per cent for the general category and 40-44 per cent for reserved categories – instead of the existing minimum requirement of 55 per cent in graduation.
The Morcha has also demanded that FIRs registered against members of protesting unions during various agitations be withdrawn and that vacant teaching posts across different subjects and categories be filled at the earliest.
Raman Kumar of the Berozgar Sanjha Morcha said, “Ahead of the 2022 Vidhan Sabha polls, Bhagwant Mann had repeatedly said that while politicians can contest polls with no upper age limit, why should there be an upper age limit for applying for government jobs, and he had promised to enhance this age limit if voted to power. But, sadly, he never fulfilled his own promise, and rather force is used on protesting unions that remind them of such promises.”
Demands of power employees
Meanwhile, the strike by employees of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) also continued on Sunday. Technical employees have been on strike since July 21 under the banner of the Joint Action Forum, with over 20,000 employees participating in the agitation. Grid substations are currently being managed by junior engineers, sub-divisional officers and temporary technical staff.
Sharing details of the agitation, union leader Gurpreet Singh Mehdodan said, “The power employees have raised 33 demands, including implementation of the Rs 35,400 pay scale, withdrawal of the July 17, 2020, letter that reduced employees’ pay scales, payment and implementation of the 18 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA), regular recruitment of youth in Punjab and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.”
He said discussions had been underway with the Punjab government and the PSPCL management for the past one year, but as no concrete action was taken on their demands, employees across Punjab proceeded on mass leave and launched an indefinite strike from July 21.
Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond held a meeting with employee representatives on Saturday, but the talks remained inconclusive. Another round of meetings involving the minister, PSPCL management and leaders of various employee unions continued in Patiala on Sunday.
In another challenge for the government, more than 20,000 sanitation workers are also on strike across Punjab. The agitators, largely temporary and contractual employees, are demanding better pay scales. Regular employees have also extended support by staying away from work.
The strike has affected sanitation services in more than 125 urban local bodies across the state.
“The Municipal Mulazam Sangrash Committee has given a Punjab bandh call for July 30 if issues are not resolved. Pendu Mazdoor Union too supports them,” said Tarsem Peter, President, Pendu Mazdoor Union.
