Punjab revenue officials join PCS staff strike against Ludhiana RTA’s arrest

Work at transport, revenue and administrative offices in Ludhiana and other towns of Punjab affected after officials go on five-day, mass casual leave

Expressing solidarity with the Punjab Civil Services (PCS) Officers Association’s protest against the arrest of a regional transport authority (RTA), Ludhiana, official, Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, for taking bribe, the state’s revenue officers on Monday also proceeded on mass casual leave till January 13, stalling revenue work in the state.

The deputy commissioner’s office in Ludhiana wears a deserted look on Monday after Punjab Civil Service Officers’ Association went on five-day casual leave en masse to protest the arrest of Regional Transport Authority (RTA) official Narinder Singh Dhaliwal by the state vigilance bureau in a corruption case on Friday. (HT Photo)

On Sunday, the PCS Officers Association decided to go on mass casual leave for five days after the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested Dhaliwal. The association alleged that procedures under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act were not followed and wanted the government to constitute a committee to investigate Dhaliwal’s “illegal arrest”. They demanded the report by Friday.

In the two-page resolution, the association said the committee should include IAS officers of principal secretary rank and a PCS officer besides representatives of the transport department.

The Punjab Revenue Officers’ Association said they were backing the PCS officers against “the irresponsible and extortionist attitude of the VB” . They said their protest was against “the inaction of administrative departments and excesses of the vigilance that was wrongly implicating officers”.

A meeting of employees’ unions in the departments of public works, excise and taxation and Punjab State Power Corporation is underway to decide on the course of action.

On Friday, the VB arrested Dhaliwal, a PCS officer, for running a racket of collecting bribe from transporters. The action was taken after a complaint on the CM’s anti-corruption helpline. A VB spokesperson said the probe established Dhaliwal used to collect bribe on a monthly basis. In December, he received bribe of ₹4 lakh, out of which he used ₹1.7 lakh for himself, and the remaining amount was handed over to Punjab Home Guards Bahadar Singh, attached with the Ludhiana RTA.