DC office staff go on mass leave to back farmers

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 7

Coming in support of protesting farmers, employees of several government offices, including the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, and the Deputy Commissioner Office, have announced to extend support to the Bharat Bandh call against the farm Acts. The employees said they stand in solidarity with the farmers who had been protesting against the farm laws.

The farmers protesting on the New Delhi’s borders have called for a nationwide strike on December 8. A number of employees at the Ludhiana DC office, who are associated with the Punjab State District (DC) Offices Employees’ Union, have taken a mass leave on December 8 (Tuesday) to extend their support to the farmers. The employees’ union members have unanimously decided that they will participate in the agitation. They have demanded from the Central Government to accept demands of the farmers at the earliest.

The farmers are opposing the three farm Acts enacted by the Central Government, led by PM Narendra Modi, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The farmers want these laws be rolled back. They are also opposing the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and heavy fine on burning stubble.

Vikas Kumar Juneja of the Ludhiana District (DC) Offices Employees’ Union said: “We are supporting the Bharat Bandh call and going on a one-day mass leave on Tuesday to extend our support to the farmers.” Meanwhile, the Municipal Employees’ Sangharsh Committee has also announced to extend support to the nationwide strike. Chairman Ashwani Sahota and president Jasdev Singh Sekhon of the committee said it had been decided unanimously that the employees of the MC would support the farmers’ ‘andolan’. Sahota said no office and field work would be conducted by the staff on Tuesday. However, safai karamcharis would work from 6 am to 9 am only on Tuesday so that the city remain clean.

It is learned that the staff at several other offices will also be extending support to the Bharat Bandh call.

Prayers in gurdwara

The ‘Ardas’ was performed at Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji at Model Town for the welfare of farmers and success of their agitation. Amarjit Singh Tikka, who is a member of the Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji Memorial Charitable Trust, said the prayers were offered for the success of protesting farmers.