PIMS strike continues for third day

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 14

For the third consecutive day, the employees of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) continued their dharna at the institute here today.

Staff of the PIMS staff association met MLA Pargat Singh and told him about their demands of salary hike and promotions as per the rules.

However, employees said they could not get a satisfactory answer from the MLA who told them that presently PIMS being brought under government control was not plausible as the government did not have the funds for the changeover.

PIMS employees have been on dharna since May 12 regarding their various demands. The AAP leadership – Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira and Assembly election candidates from Jalandhar Cantt HS Walia and from Shahkot Dr Amarjit Singh Thind who visited PIMS yesterday — have already said that they shall be sitting on a dharna from Monday if the grievances of the institute staff are not met.

The employees had also met Sonu Dhesi (OSD), CM Punjab, yesterday, who has assured the staff that their demands regarding bringing PIMS under government hands and ordering a high-level inquiry into PIMS shall be conveyed to the state Chief Minister.