Massive turnout of employees, pensioners

Hoshiarpur/ (Daljeet Ajnoha/August 27— Hundreds of employees and pensioners joined a massive rally in Mahilpur block on Monday after the Employees-Pensioners United Front called for a bandh. Marching from the local vegetable mandi, the protesters voiced their anger at the Punjab government led by Bhagwant Mann, accusing it of economically exploiting workers, pensioners and the working poor.
The demonstration was led by pensioners’ leader Sohan Singh Bhunno, PASF block president Narinder Ajnoha, and activists Malkit Singh Bahowal, Kashmira Singh, Makhan Singh Langeri and Amarjeet Kumar Nangal Khilarian. Leaders demanded immediate reinstatement of the old pension scheme, regularisation of all temporary workers, application of a 2.59 pension multiplier for retirees, a stop to privatisation, cancellation of the Centre’s pay commission reference during the probation period, and payment of outstanding dues in dearness allowance and pay commission arrears.
Farmer leaders including Talwinder Singh Heer, Kashmeera Singh, Paramjit Katib, Jagdish Posi, Kamaljit Kharaudi, Charanjit Barian Kalan and Sher Jang Bahadur Singh also voiced solidarity, warning that governments that take anti-people decisions cannot withstand public protests for long. They urged the state administration to accede to the demands without delay.
Protesters staged a peaceful demonstration and burnt an effigy of the Punjab government. A large number of employees and pensioners took part, including Satvinder Singh, Arvinder Singh, Manjinder Singh Haluwal, Principal Sukhinder Singh, Sarbjit Manjh, Bal Mukand Sharma, Tehal Singh, Gian Handowal, Shinderpal, Jaswinder Singh, Varinder Sharma, Gurjeet Singh Tony, Kamaljeet, Lahimber Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Surinder Singh, Gurnam Chand, Harmanoj Kumar, Principal Inderjit Singh, Principal Harmanoj Kumar, Principal Surinder Kaur, Harkesh Kumar, Satgur Singh, Aje Kumar, Amarjeet Singh, Gurpal Singh, Davinder Singh, Lal Singh, Sagli Ram, Om Datt, Tarsem Lal, Lahimber Rahdi, Jaswinder Bham, Rampal, Asha Mohgoawal, Pradeep, Amarveer Kaur, Maya Devi, Lovdeep Kaur, Sandeep Kaur, Kulwant Kaur, Paramjeet Kaur, Balvinder Kaur, Sandhya, Harbans Kaur, Rashpal Kaur, Pradeep Kaur, Jasveer Kaur and Asha Rani among many others.