Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Government services across Punjab are expected to be disrupted on Thursday, August 27, as lakhs of employees and pensioners observe a one-day strike over a series of long-pending demands.
The protest has been announced by the Sanjha Mulazim Manch Punjab and UT, with more than three lakh government employees and around four lakh pensioners expected to stay away from work.
Despite the scale of the protest, union leaders have stressed that Thursday will not be a ‘Punjab Bandh’. There will be no road blockades or attempts to stop traffic, and private businesses and shops will not be asked to shut.
Government Work to Take a Hit
The mass leave is expected to affect routine functioning in several government departments. Work at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Patwar Khanas and other government offices is likely to remain suspended.
Government schools may also be affected, while patients visiting government hospitals could face difficulties as outpatient department (OPD) services are expected to be disrupted.
The actual impact, however, could vary between departments depending on employee participation.
Markets and Highways to Function Normally
Sukhchain Singh Khaira, president of the Sanjha Mulazim Manch, said the organisation has no plans to interfere with normal public movement.
There will be no ‘chakka jam’, and private establishments, markets and shops are expected to remain open. Highways and other roads will also remain accessible to commuters.
Khaira urged people not to visit government offices on August 27 for routine work, as employees participating in the strike will not be available.
Treasury Work Also Likely to Be Suspended
The union has asked government departments not to forward bills to treasury offices on the day of the strike. Employees have also been advised against sending such bills on August 26, as treasury staff are expected to participate in the protest.
This could result in delays in routine financial processing and other treasury-related work.
SIR Staff to Join Mass Leave
Employees assigned to Special Summary Revision (SIR) duties are also expected to participate in the strike.
Khaira said the union has informed the Election Commission about the proposed mass leave and has requested that employees involved in SIR-related work should not be forced to report for duty during the protest.
District-Level Protests Planned
The strike will also include demonstrations at the district level.
Sunil Kumar, chief adviser to the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union, said government work would remain suspended and protestors would burn effigies of the state government at the district level.
The employees’ organisations have alleged that their demands have remained unresolved despite repeated representations to the government.
DA Not the Immediate Demand
Khaira also clarified that the current protest is not centred on the payment of DA.
He said employees have already secured court orders relating to the issue and believe the government is required to comply with them. The unions are now seeking implementation of those orders along with action on their other pending demands.
CM’s Meeting Scheduled on Strike Day
A meeting between representatives of the joint employees’ front and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is scheduled for August 27.
According to Khaira, the discussion is expected to cover the employees’ broader list of grievances rather than being restricted to one particular demand.
For the public, the key distinction remains that government services may be severely affected, but Punjab is not observing a general shutdown. Private offices, markets, shops and normal road traffic are expected to continue as usual.
