Unemployed linesmen to protest tomorrow
Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 13
Agitated over the non-issuance of appointment letters to 5,000 unemployed linesmen, representatives of the Unemployed Employees Union, Punjab, today announced that their union would hold a state-level protest on December 15 in Patiala. “The protest would be peaceful, but in case the government or the administration resorts to any unlawful means to scuttle our protest, we are ready for any eventuality,” union leaders said.

Confirming this, union president Pirampal Singh said: “On October 27, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had conveyed to our union through Patiala Deputy Commissioner Dipinder Singh that within 10 days as many as 5,000 linesmen would be recruited on contract basis at a salary of Rs 10,000 per month in Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, but so far nothing has been done in this regard.”

Notably, presently the union members are holding dharna opposite PSPCL headquarters in the city. They are also continuing their chain hunger strike that entered in its 18th

“If the Cabinet fails to give nod for the issuance of the appointment letters, our union would intensify its agitation. We would stage state-level protests on December 15. Family members of the unemployed linesmen would also participate in the demonstration,” said union senior vice-president Rajinder Singh. The union members also said they would announce their strategy on December 15.