Liquor being used to sway PAU Class-4 staff polls

High drama was witnessed a day before the polls as the Ludhiana police raided the house of a Class 4 employee and recovered four boxes of liquor.

Illegal distribution of freebies and booze is not endemic to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha Polls, and is also being used to influence the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) Class-4 Employee Association elections scheduled for Friday.

Both PAU unions are demanding better health facilities and increase in pay grades. (Representative Image/HT File)

High drama was witnessed a day before the polls as the police raided the house of a Class 4 employee and recovered four boxes of liquor.

Rajinder Kumar, the Class 4 employee who was rounded up, accused the Opposition of planting the liquor at his house.

Ashok Kumar, who is contesting for the post of general secretary and whose poll symbol is a car, said, “We are fighting to secure more rights for Class 4 employees. The clerical staff sees it as a threat and therefore is using cheap politics such as planting liquor at the house of our group member in connivance with the Opposition.”

On the other hand, Brinder Singh, who is fighting for post of president on the symbol of an agricultural tool, said the Opposition was using liquor to grease the electorate.

“While they were stocking the liquor, someone informed the police,” said Rajinder Singh. There are 350 permanent Class 4 employees in the university. Both the unions are demanding better health facilities and increase in pay grades.