Talks fail, specially abled refuse to lift dharna

Our Correspondent

Tarn Taran, November 24

Tarn Taran AAP MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal on Thursday failed to get the protesting specially abled persons to agree to lift their four-day dharna outside his residence here. Their discussion lasted two hours at the dharna site.

The differently abled persons under the banner of Punjab Divyang Action Committee (PDAC) were on the agitation path against the removal of two of their contract employees by the Tarn Taran municipal council. During his talks with the protesters, MLA Sohal said he was unable to accept their demand as he had no authority to reinstate them. He said he was neither an officer nor in the state Cabinet.

Lakhbir Singh Saini, state president of the PDAC, in his reply to the MLA, said Sohal was part of the state government and was fully competent to accept their genuine demand as the removed women employees had no fault.

As the talks failed to bear fruit, the agitating members of the Punjab Diviang Action Committee took out a march in the town and raised slogans against the state government and MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal for alleged anti-employee stance against specially abled persons, said Lakhbir Singh Saini.

The protesters are sitting at the dharna site round the clock and the road leading to the residence of the MLA has been blocked by them.