In Punjab, face-off set to escalate between AAP govt-PCS, revenue officers as CM declares strike ‘illegal’ 

Several Punjab Civil Service officers across the State have gone on mass casual leave since January 9

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led Punjab government and the striking Punjab Civil Service (PCS) and revenue officers in the State seem all set for a face-off as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday directed the Chief Secretary to declare their protest as ‘illegal’.

Several Punjab Civil Service officers across the State have gone on mass casual leave since January 9 for five days in protest against, what they termed the “illegal” arrest of a colleague in Ludhiana by the State Vigilance Bureau, without adhering to standard procedures. The decision to go on mass leave was taken by the Punjab Civil Services Officers’ Association in a meeting on January 8.

Work in several government offices had adversely suffered after the revenue officers and clerical staff also came in support of the strike of Punjab Civil Service (PCS) officers. The Punjab Revenue Officers’ Association (PROA) had also supported and joined the PCS officers’ protest.

“It has been brought to my notice that some officers are not attending duty in the garb of some strike. They are protesting against strong action taken by the government against corrupt officers. Let this be very clear that this government has zero tolerance for corruption and such a strike amount to blackmailing and arm-twisting. It cannot be tolerated by any responsible government,” said the order, tweeted by the Chief Minister.

In the order, Chief Secretary V.K. Janjua has been directed to declare the strike illegal and suspend all officers who do not join duty by 2 p.m. on (January 11) Wednesday.

Last week, the Vigilance Bureau arrested PCS officer Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, who was posted as Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in Ludhiana, for allegedly running an organized crime to collect money as bribes from transporters. The PCS Officers’ Association in their meeting passed a resolution stating “The PCS officer has been arrested illegally, wrongfully and arbitrarily and without due procedure.” It was resolved in the meeting that all the PCS officers in the state shall proceed on a mass casual leave for the coming week starting from January 9, it said.