Ludhiana: Punjab treasury staff allege unjust promotion order, stage demonstration

The controversy stems from the government’s decision to promote employees from the post of junior assistant (level-7) to assistant treasurer (level-6); the association, however, has rejected this move as a legit promotion, claiming that shifting employees from level-7 to level-6 is effectively a demotion

In a strong show of dissent, employees of Punjab State Treasury Employees Association staged a protest on Wednesday against the state government and finance department, alleging unfair treatment of treasury employees regarding their promotion. As part of the demonstration, the association members also burned copies of recent promotion orders to mark their disagreement with the new promotion.

Members of the Punjab State Treasury Employees Association staging a dharna in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

The controversy stems from the government’s decision to promote employees from the post of junior assistant (level-7) to assistant treasurer (level-6). The association, however, has rejected this move as a legit promotion, claiming that shifting employees from level-7 to level-6 is effectively a demotion.

Speaking on the occasion, association’s state president Lakhvir Singh Garewal and district president Ashwani Kumar said that the decision to burn the orders was made to highlight the injustice. They asserted that junior assistants deserve promotion to posts such as district treasurer or senior assistant, not to a lower pay scale position like assistant treasurer. They warned that if fair promotion policies are not adopted, a more intense agitation will be launched as per the decision of the association’s state body.

The Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU), Punjab also lent its full support to the protest, asserting their full support to them in every phase of their struggle.

Employees from other government departments also joined in solidarity, including Davinder Singh (PWD), Jagdev Singh (agriculture), Satpal and Gurpreet Singh Khattra (education), Amarjeet Singh, Baljinder Singh (roadways), and Harminder Singh and Harvinder Singh (health department).