Chandigarh: Taking a tough stand against the strike call given by revenue officials and the deputy commissioner staff, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab on Wednesday invoked the East Punjab Essential Services (maintenance) Act (ESMA) threatening that any violation of it would attract strict penal provisions under the Act.
Pertinently, it is for the first time in the one and half years of the chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP rule that the state is faced with such a standoffish situation with the employees.
Trigger of the Standoff
It may be recalled that over 2,000 employees under the banner of the Revenue Patwar Union and the Revenue Kanungo Association have called for an indefinite pen-down strike from Friday following the registration of a corruption case against a 'patwari' and a 'kanungo' (both revenue officials) in Sangrur district a week ago.
The DC Office Employees' Association have also threatened that they would observe a pen-down strike from September 11-13 to press for their various demands.
Warning of Consequences
In response to the strike call, Mann said in a statement that if they went ahead with the pen-down strike, "the state government will decide whether to give them their pens back or not", indicating that they could lose their jobs.
In a post on social media Mann said that as per information, patwaris, kanungos in favour of one of their colleagues involved in a bribery case and DC (deputy commissioners') office employees for their personal demands were going to go on a pen-down strike and added that there were many educated unemployed people who were ready to hold their pens. The people of Punjab would not be allowed to suffer, he added.
Calls to Rethink the Strike
Mann also asked them not to proceed with their proposed strike for their vested interests or in support of those facing corruption charges.
The Revenue Patwar Union and the Revenue Kanungo Association have claimed that a false case was registered against their member and demanded that the FIR be withdrawn.
On the other hand, around 3,500 employees under the banner of the DC Office Employees' Association are demanding promotions to the posts of superintendent grade-2 and senior assistants.
