Punjab govt drops show-cause notices for absent employees, officers

The Punjab government has withdrawn show-cause notices issued to employees marked absent on August 27. The decision follows a statewide strike by government employees over demands like regularisation of contracts and payment of pending DAs.

The Punjab government has decided to drop the show-cause notices issued to officers and employees who were marked absent without authorisation, according to an official order issued by the Department of General Administration on Thursday.

The order stated that the competent authority has decided to withdraw the show-cause notices issued by the disciplinary authority on August 27 to the concerned officers and employees for unauthorised absence.

The decision was issued with reference to the letter dated August 29. The latest directive was issued and signed on September 10.

The Punjab government has also requested all Special Chief Secretaries, Additional Chief Secretaries, Financial Commissioners, Principal Secretaries and Administrative Secretaries to ensure necessary follow-up action in this regard.

The order was issued by the Department of General Administration, Secretariat Establishment-5 Branch, following the decision of the competent authority on the matter.

Decision Follows Statewide Employee Strike

The decision comes after government employees across Punjab had observed a statewide strike on August 27 over their long-pending demands.

Union Leader on Protests and Demands

Narendra Singh, President of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Government Medical College, Amritsar, and District President of the Co-ordination Committee of Para-Medical and Health Employees, Punjab, had said that employees had been protesting against the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government for the past four and a half years over their demands.

The employees had been demanding regularisation of all contractual employees, implementation of pension benefits for employees appointed under various categories, payment of pending instalments of Dearness Allowance (DA), and regularisation of Anganwadi workers, Anganwadi helpers, mid-day meal workers and other employees.

Singh had alleged that despite repeated assurances and meeting dates being given by the government, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had not held a meeting with employees and the scheduled meetings were postponed repeatedly.

He had said that on August 7, more than three lakh employees participated in a rally in Chandigarh, while on August 27, government employees from various departments, including dispensaries, offices, schools, hospitals, electricity, animal husbandry and agriculture departments, participated in the statewide protest.

He had also said that Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar observed the strike, with OPD services and general operation theatres remaining closed, while emergency services continued to function.

More than 250 organisations and federations had supported the protest, according to Singh.

(ANI)

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