Days after police lathicharge on protesting apprentice linemen outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters, some Apprentice Linemen Union members today climbed a transmission tower. The move comes as the district administration has already issued orders to prohibit the assembly of five or more persons in Patiala and have deputed police and medical teams near the dharna site.
Last week, apprentice linemen had locked both entry and exit gates of the PSPCL headquarters in Patiala, following which the police used mild force to disperse them.
As many as 10 protesting linemen climbed an electricity transmission tower on the Patiala-Sangrur road. According to union member Surinder Singh, 10 members had climbed the tower, while many others were protesting beneath the tower at Bhedpura village. “Our union was protesting peacefully outside the PSPCL headquarters when the police resorted to a lathicharge. Later, an FIR was registered against our union members. Now, the authorities are pressuring us to resume duty or face termination,” he claimed.
Senior police and administration officers said they were trying to ensure safety of the union members and had stationed a medical team and the police at the spot.
