Scuffle breaks out between contractual workers, police personnel in Punjab

Punjab Police removed contractual employees from the spot while they were going for gherao of state's finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal in Bathinda on Saturday, demanding the regularization of jobs.

There was a scuffle between the contractual workers and the police personnel. "The present government promised us that it would regularize our jobs and provide us with livelihood. However, nobody has paid heed to our demands and they are still unfulfilled. We are warning the government that the protests would continue until our demands are fulfilled, " said Gurlal Singh, a protestor and a contractual employee.

"In the protest, there are contractual employees of all the departments of Punjab, " he added.

The contractual employees of Punjab Roadways had been protesting for over months over job regularisation. The protestors had alleged that the former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh back then promised to make the jobs regular in twenty days but then he resigned and Charanjit Singh Channi took over the CM position. The current chief minister also promised the same. However, their demands have not been fulfilled, a protestor had alleged.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on November 27 joined the protest of contractual teachers in Mohali, Punjab.

( With inputs from ANI )