Labourers, who had been engaged in packing ration kits distributed to blue card holders under the Punjab government’s Meri Rasoi Scheme, staged a protest and surrounded the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner for more than eight hours on Monday.
They said that that they had been dismissed from their jobs by the management of a private company, which has been roped in by the government for packing the kits. The protest was led by the members of Pendu Mazdoor Union.
The workers began their protest at 11 am and continued till 7 pm. Due to the siege of the office, Assistant Labour Commissioner Jalandhar-1 Dr Pradeep Chaudhary, Assistant Labour Commissioner Jalandhar-2 Kunwar Dabar, Labour Inspector Chandan Gill, labour office staff, the Naib Tehsildar of Jalandhar, the District Manager of Markfed, the firm’s General Manager and police officials remained surrounded by the protesters. The situation remained tense for eight hours, forcing the administration to deploy a large police force.
Earlier on May 30, the members of Pendu Mazdoor Union had blocked the Jalandhar-Kapurthala road outside the packaging establishment and raised strong slogans. It was after an assurance by the Assistant Labour Commissioners and the Tehsildar that workers would be reinstated that the protest got lifted. The workers were also promised wages and compensation for lost workdays.
State Press Secretary of PMU Kashmir Singh Ghugshore announced that if the administration failed to implement its assurances, the struggle would be intensified. The kits being readied include edible oil, salt, turmeric, lentils and other essential items. These ration kits are to be supplied to blue card holders in 11 districts, including Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Pathankot.
