Government staff forced to observe ‘black Diwali’

Mahesh Sharma

Mandi Ahmedgarh/Raikot/ Payal, November 3

Families of state government employees, including officials of private aided schools, have been forced to observe a ‘black Diwali’, as a majority of them have not received their salaries for October due to the ongoing strike of unions of employees who were protesting for the implementation of their long-pending demands.

Though families having alternative sources of income were able to either purchase gifts and goods, others have to limit the celebrations for lack of finances.

Office-bearers and activists of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union and the Punjab Government Deputy Commissioner Office Employees Union had been protesting for a long time against the alleged adamant attitude of the state government towards their demands.

Unlocking of frozen dearness allowance, withdrawal of discriminatory policy regarding employees of the 2016 batch and resumption of the old pension scheme were cited among their major demands.

While earlier the protesters were on a pen-down strike, they proceeded on mass leave for three days on Monday, further paralysing the functioning of almost all government offices.

In-charges of various government schools, led by Rajesh Gupta and Viney Goyal, regretted that the government had failed to persuade the protesting employees at government offices, resulting in a situation wherein almost all government officials, including protesters, had to observe a ‘black Diwali’, due to non-payment of salaries for October.

“Though we had prepared salary bills well in time and had been visiting the Treasure Office, we were not able to deposit the same for further processing,” said Rajesh Gupta, adding that the Treasury Office was found locked when he visited today.

Chairman, Punjab Government DC Office Employees Union, Amritpal Pannu, alleged the unsavory situation had arisen due to the adamant attitude of the government towards redressal of genuine demands of all categories of the government employees. “Though we had given enough time for the government to find some solution through table talk, no negotiation took place in the matter yet,” he said.

Pannu said senior functionaries of the union had to lend money to worst-affected employees, to help them celebrate the festival.