HC notices to PGI,UT

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to PGI and the UT Administration on a public interest litigation (PIL) demanding lifting of the strike by the PGI contractual staff. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ranjan Gogoi of the High Court asked the Central government,PGI and the PGI contractual staff in-charge to respond by December 14. The PIL has been filed by city-based lawyer Ajay Jagga. He has sought directions to PGI to take action against the contractual employees who have gone on strike. The petitioner has demanded that directions be given to the contract employees to come back to work. Jagga contended that the contractual staff,attendants,sweepers,operation theatre helpers,ward attendants had gone on strike from December 5. A premier institute like the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research,Chandigarh (PGI) has been reduced to a non-performing hospital in absence of the contractual staff,the petition reads. The contractual staff are seeking registration of an FIR against security officer P C Sharma,who had allegedly slapped a woman employee. Referring to media reports,the petitioner said that no breakfast was served to in-house patients and,furthermore,the medical reports of patients were lying thrown on the floor.