Cops urge sanitation workers’ body chief to withdraw strike

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 25

The police held a meeting with the Punjab Safai Mazdoor Union today and tried to pacify its chairman Chandan Grewal and asked him to not to protest.

According to unconfirmed reports, instructions have come from the CM office that the MC and the police authorities in the city should make sure that the works here should not get affected and the issues related to sanitation workers be resolved. After getting the instructions, the meeting was held. It has been two days now that safai karamcharis are on a strike and no garbage is being lifted in several areas of the city.

DCP Balkar Singh was present in the meeting along with MC Commissioner Diprava Lakra. In the meeting, Grewal was asked to not to hold protest, who, in turn, asked officials in the meeting to assure that the agenda to recruit 160 sewermen was put on hold.

“After this, the officials told me that our genuine demands will be sent to the higher authorities but I want a firm answer that the agenda will be put on hold,” said Grewal.

The standoff between the Mayor and union members doesn’t seem to be getting resolved. A day after the agenda of the recruitment of 160 sewermen was passed by calling an urgent meeting by Mayor Jagdish Raja, earlier in the day, Grewal, along with a large number of safai karamcharis, held a protest on the MC premises.

In protest against the Mayor, his pictures were hanged on a donkey during a march. Grewal said the Mayor had been saying that those sewermen and safai karamcharis recruited on an outsourcing basis would be regularised in a year or two, Hence, he must give the same in writing. The safai karamcharis raised slogans against the Mayor during the protest.

Reportedly, another meeting will be held between the Mayor and MLAs over the issue. Meanwhile, the police have been trying hard to convince Grewal to withdraw strike.