Punjab: Demands unmet, food supply inspectors announce indefinite strike from today

The striking employees include department inspectors and assistant food and civil supplies officers who have been demanding an audience with minister Lal Chand Kataruchak

Over 1,500 employees of the Punjab food and civil supplies department on Wednesday announced an indefinite strike from Thursday over their unmet demands.

The striking employees include department inspectors and assistant food and civil supplies officers who have been demanding an audience with minister Lal Chand Kataruchak. (HT File)

The striking employees include department inspectors and assistant food and civil supplies officers who have been demanding an audience with minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.

Punjab Inspectorate Food Supplies Union president Harjit Singh Kheri said staff were protesting issues related to handing over food grains to the Food Corporation of India for public distribution to consuming states and salary deductions that were causing them huge financial loss.

“Due to recoveries and salary cuts, the employees are unable to meet their families’ day-to-day expenses,” said Kheri.

“Our union has been seeking time from the minister, but the meeting is being postponed repeatedly. Now, the meeting has been fixed for August 25. These are just delay tactics. So we have decided to begin an indefinite strike to press for our demands,” he said.

According to Yadwinder Singh, senior vice-president of the union, necessary stock articles, such as crates and tarpaulin, have not been supplied for the past four years, yet employees managed proper storage of grains. “Even during the Covid pandemic, we supplied ration to every household, but the government continues to impose penalties on us,” he added.

When contacted, Kataruchak said it was employees’ democratic right, but they should have waited until after the August 25 meeting with him. “We will still work on resolving their issue through talks,” he added.