Punsup employees stage protest

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 28

In order to register their protest against the alleged harassment of the Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (Punsup) staff across the state by Captain PS Shergill, managing director, Punsup; district managers and field officers who relinquished their charge few days back reached Patiala today and staged a protest outside the district office.

Punsup employees, including district managers, deputy district managers, field officers, inspectors and clerks staged a protest and raised slogans against the management.

Out of the staff of roughly 1,500, only four district managers, including Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and Ludhiana were on duty. District managers of all the other districts are on tour to mobilise staff members.

It is worth mentioning that although Punsup had sent field officers to take charge of the district offices in 15 districts in absence of the district managers but all premises were locked. Suspension of 15 Punsup employees is said to have triggered the protest. Two district managers; a couple of their deputies; a field officer; and 10 inspectors were suspended over discrepancies in procurement and storage of the 1509 variety of basmati rice in the last Kharif marketing season.

However, the district managers claimed that they were forced to procure the variety. They said after its prices fell in the open market, the government decided to offer a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,450 per quintal and asked the district managers to procure it.

This strike is likely to affect the wheat procurement which is beginning on April 1. Punsup procures 20 per cent of the state’s wheat in Rabi season, besides paddy in Kharif, on behalf of the Centre but as the entire staff is on strike seeking resignation of the MD, it will affect the procurement. The protest has also affected the atta-dal scheme across the state.