Salary hike implementation: Sarpanches, panchayat members hold protest in Sangrur

The sarpanches and panchayat members were getting ₹1200 per month but they did not receive this salary during the last few years. Protesting members gathered at Bathinda bypass

Scores of sarpanches and panchayat members on Tuesday held a protest near chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence here, demanding ₹25,000 salary for sarpanch and ₹10,000 for panchayat members. This demand is in the wake of a promise made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) prior to the assembly elections earlier this year. The Punjab government was giving the sarpanches and panchayat members an honorarium of ₹1200 per month. However, they did not receive this salary during the last few years. The protesting members gathered at Bathinda bypass in the morning and then marched toward CM’s residence.

The protesting members gathered at Bathinda bypass in the morning and then marched toward CM’s residence. (HT photo)

Jassi Longowal, sarpanch of village Ramvir Basti and president of Malwa unit of the panchayat union Punjab, said, “I became sarpanch in 2019 and since then I have never received monthly honorarium.” “AAP has promised to give ₹25,000 salary to sarpanch and ₹10,000 to a panchayat member. Six months have passed since they (AAP government) took over but they are yet to initiate any work on this promise,” he added. The protest concluded in the evening, after the administration fixed a meeting of the aggrieved panchayat members with the panchayat minister on October 6.