Retired Punjab Police Home Guard personnel brought traffic on the National Highway-44 to a standstill on Thursday by staging a sit-in at the Ladhowal toll plaza, disrupting movement between Ludhiana and Jalandhar for nearly four hours.
A large number of retired home guards gathered at the toll plaza and blocked both carriageways to press for their long-pending demands. The protesters said the highway remained entirely blocked from around noon until 4pm, resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides.
The agitation centred on demands for pension schemes, post-retirement social security benefits, salary revisions, and regularisation.
The protestors said home guards had worked with Punjab police personnel to maintain law and order, yet their contributions remained unacknowledged following retirement.
Raj Kumar, a retired Home Guard from Amritsar, said he had served for nearly 30 years but was still without any social security benefit.
“We have been raising this issue for years. I served the department for three decades, but after retirement there is no social security for us. We had also raised the issue during the previous Congress government, but nothing came of it,” he said.
The protesters demanded pensions, social security, elimination of wage disparities. They also sought permanent status for eligible Home Guards who are still serving.
{{/usCountry}}The protesters demanded pensions, social security, elimination of wage disparities. They also sought permanent status for eligible Home Guards who are still serving.
{{/usCountry}}The sudden blockade on one of the state’s busiest highways led to a major traffic pile-up. Cars, buses, trucks and other vehicles remained stuck on both sides of the toll plaza, leaving commuters facing delays. The disruption also affected other road users as traffic movement slowed considerably around the toll plaza.
A heavy police force was deployed after officials received information about the protest.
Police officials held discussions with the protesters and attempted to persuade them to clear the highway and allow traffic to resume.
The protesters, however, maintained that their demands had remained unresolved for years and warned that the agitation could be expanded if the state government fails to acknowledge their demands.