Faridkot MLA Gurdit Singh Sekhon was compelled to participate in a sit-in protest alongside aggrieved employees and pensioners on Saturday after he arrived to collect a warning letter on behalf of Social Welfare Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur. The incident occurred during a massive rally organized by the Joint Coordination Committee, the Joint Employees Forum, and the Pensioners Joint Front outside the minister's residence in Faridkot.
Protesters corner MLA with sharp questions
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Dr. Baljit Kaur's home, raising strong slogans against the state government. When MLA Sekhon arrived as the minister's representative, angry protesters confronted him with pointed questions regarding the government's perceived anti-employee stance. The employee leadership accused Dr. Baljit Kaur of political betrayal, highlighting that despite being a former government doctor and a current pensioner, she signed an adverse report against employees in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. They warned that the ruling party would face consequences in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
Demands include DA arrears, pension revision, and regularisation
The protesters criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for being indifferent to their long-pending demands over its four-and-a-half-year tenure. They slammed the administration for hiring expensive private lawyers to delink dearness allowance from the central pattern in court. The main demands include the immediate release of six pending DA installments at 18 percent, implementation of the 2.59 coefficient for pensioners, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, regularisation of all contractual and temporary staff with full pay, and granting government employee status to ASHA workers, mid-day meal workers, and Anganwadi workers.
MLA joins sit-in, accepts memorandum
Faced with intense pressure, MLA Sekhon joined the sit-in, accepted the memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, and assured the protesters that he would strongly recommend their case to the government for an early resolution. The protest underscores growing discontent among state employees ahead of the assembly elections.
