Finance Minister Cheema holds meetings with employee unions, directs officials to swiftly act on legitimate demands

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Cheema on Wednesday directed the Education Department to resolve the legitimate demands of Unaided Staff Front (Aided School) on priority. This directive came during meetings chaired by him as the Chairman of Cabinet Sub-Committee with various employee unions at his office here.

In a subsequent meeting with the Daftri Karamchari Union, Cheema informed the union representatives that the Cabinet Sub-Committee had asked the Officers’ Committee to consider the issue of school office staff regularisation, similar to the regularisation of teachers in 2018 and 2022, and to submit a report within one month. He also directed the School Education Department to resolve the pay anomaly issue raised by these employees as soon as possible.

The Murr Bahal Adhiyapak Union demanded the swift completion of their reinstatement process. In response, the minister directed the School Education Department to prepare a list of the sacked teachers and verify the reasons for their dismissal. He emphasised that cases of teachers dismissed for unjustified reasons should be considered sympathetically. Additionally, on the demand of the 2,364 ETT Selected Adhiyapak Union to remove the ban on selecting the station of posting, the union was informed that the portal has been opened in this regard.

The Joint Action Committee of Vets for Pay-Parity raised concerns about the lower basic pay scale of veterinary officers compared to medical and dental officers following the decision to implement the Central pay scale for new recruitment. They also demanded house rent allowance on a par with the Health Department. Cheema directed the Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, to have a meeting with the Principal Secretary, Finance, at the earliest to find a solution to these issues and assess the financial implications. He also instructed the Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry to convene a meeting with the Veterinary Worker Union and submit a proposal to resolve their legitimate demands.

In response to the issues raised by the Gram Panchayat Water Supply Pump Operators' Association, Cheema directed the Director, Rural Development and Panchayats, to consider forming committees at the block level to address these concerns. He also directed the department to submit a request to the central government for necessary changes in the required qualifications for the training programme for these employees, ensuring that all employees benefit from the training.