200 employees arrested
From Tribune Reporters

NAWANSHAHR, Sept 30 — The ongoing pen-down strike by the district unit of the Punjab State Ministerial Staff Services Union, has taken the shape of a row between the police and the striking employees as the police yesterday took more than 200 employees, including about 50 women, into custody and registered cases against 20 of them.

Mr Prem Kumar Rattan, president of the district unit of the union, talking to mediapersons alleged that the employees were harassed and threatened in the police station. They were released on Wednesday.

Mr K.K. Jindal and Mr Harnek Singh Mawi, general secretary and vice-president, respectively, of the state unit of the union today met the SSP, Mr Surinder Singh Sodhi and demanded that the cases be withdrawn and action taken against erring police officials. The SSP, when contacted, said the matter would be resolved soon.

Meanwhile, the district unit of the Revenue Patwar Union Punjab expressed solidarity with the striking employees and condemned the local police for its "illegal" and "dictatorial" attitude.

The employees also held a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner.

FEROZEPORE: Members of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at the district courts complex here on Wednesday.

Talking to The Tribune, Mr Ajmer Singh and Mr Krishan Lal Gabha, president and senior vice-president, respectively, of the district unit of the union, said certain civil and police authorities had come and asked them not to burnt the effigy of Mr Badal.

Hundreds of union members raised slogans against the Punjab Government and Mr Badal. Later, they held a rally in which speakers condemned the lathi charge on agitating employees at Faridkot on Tuesday.

SANGRUR: Members of the local Punjab State Ministerial Services Union, ignoring the no work, no pay threat by the Punjab Government, staged a massive rally outside the District Treasury Office here as their strike entered its 16th day on Wednesday.

Tension gripped the rally when the district administration with the help of the police reportedly tried to issue salary cheques. According to Mr Raj Kumar Arora, state president of the union, the agitated staff gheraoed the District Treasury Officer for several hours to foil his attempt to issue the cheques.

Among others, the rally was addressed by Mr Arora and Mr Malkiat Singh, district president of the union.

Mr Arora said the agitation would be intensified after October 2, if their demands were not accepted by them.

KAPURTHALA: The local Treasury Office, meanwhile, cleared salary bills amounting to Rs 1.32 crore, according to Mr Inderjit, District Treasury Officer.

Mrs Usha R. Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, along with Mr Iqbal Singh, SSP, visited the office and got the bills cleared in their presence.

Heavy police force was deputed to check any incident.

The ministerial staff, meanwhile, staged a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner.

HOSHIARPUR: On account of the ongoing pen-down strike by the Punjab Ministerial Services Union, work in all government offices remained paralysed on Wednesday.

Members of the union staged a dharna and a rally in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner in support of their demands.

Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, MLA, urged the Chief Minister to consider their genuine demands.

The local Government Primary Teachers Association has supported the demands of the union. Mr Mohinder Singh Panesar, secretary of the association, said people and other government employees were suffering due to the strike.

Mr Om Parkash, general secretary, Ministerial Services Union. PSEB, condemned the lathi charge on union leaders. He said they had observed a protest day on Wednesday and members wore black badges. The union would stage rallies at district headquarters on October 7 and submit memoranda to all Deputy Commissioners.

FARIDKOT: The ministerial staff held a rally and staged a dharna in support of their demands.

They also took out a procession through the bazaar and burnt the effigy of the Chief Minister.

MALERKOTLA: Work in government offices remained paralysed as members of the Ministerial Services Union continued their pen-down strike.

They staged a dharna in front of the Treasury Office and organised a rally there.

Addressing the rally, Mr Kirpal Singh Loomba, president of the unit of the union, condemned the state government's decision not to pay salaries to the striking employees.

Employees of the Treasury Office also joined the striking employees.

Later, the employees burnt an effigy of the Punjab Government at the bus stand.

PATIALA: Tension prevailed in front of the District Treasury Office where the ministerial staff was holding a dharna to prevent the passing of the salary bills of government employees.

While the activists sat in front of the Treasury Office to stop the payment of salaries, the district administration managed to "hijack" some employees of the office and got the salary bills passed.

Mr Fakir Chand Sharma, general secretary of the local unit of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union, said the effigies of the Punjab Government were burnt. Members claimed that their strike was a success and that they were able to block the salary bills.

However, Deputy Commissioner Viswjeet Khanna said salaries to all government and semi-government employees were disbursed.

LUDHIANA: Following the Punjab Government's orders to Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDO) of various departments to withdraw the salaries for the non-striking government employees Deputy Commissioner Arun Goel has ordered branches of the State Bank of India to remain open till 7 p.m. on Wednesday and till 2 p.m. on Thursday to facilitate the employees to withdraw their salaries.