Patiala: Thousands of Powercom pensioners on Wednesday organised protest dharna cum demonstration on the call of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) Pensioners Association in front of PSPCL head office here against non acceptance of their long pending demands.

President of the Association, Avinash Chander Sharma and General Secretary, Dhanwant Singh Bhattal led the protestors. The pensioners sat on dharna for long time despite humid weather and lodged their protest by raising slogans against the government. The protestors said that the state government had adopted an indifferent attitude towards their long pending demands because of which they were compelled to adopt the path of agitation.

They threatened the state government that if their demands were not accepted well before the enforcement of model code of conduct in the state, the ruling party will have to pay a heavy price for this in ensuing assembly polls in Punjab in 2017. Addressing the protestors, the President of the Association, Avinash Chander Sharma listed the demands, which included Power Tariff concession to PSPCL pensioners, implementation of cashless treatment for the pensioners, allotment of proper places for setting up of the Association’ss field units in the state and clearance of 23 pending DA arrear instalments in one go, among others. Sharma condemned the state government for non acceptance of these demands. “The state government has failed in taking decision on implementation of the recommendations of the sixth pay commission, because of which not only the state employees but the pensioners are annoyed. Many other states have already implemented the recommendations,”he said.

He said Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Uttrakhand and Delhi Powercoms have already accepted all these demands of their pensioners, but the Punjab government has turned a Nelson’s eye towards the issue.

Association general secretary, Dhanwant Singh Bhattal said that the state government’s exchequer turns empty only for its employees and pensioners whereas all other works run smoothly and without any kind of restriction. Others who spoke at the dharna included Ram Parkash, S S Tina, Gajjan Singh, Gurnam Singh Gill, Radhay Shyam and Parkash Chander.

For more news updates Follow and Like us on Facebook