Rural vets begin ‘fast unto death’

After ending the ‘Sholay’ act late Thursday night,the retrenched rural veterinary pharmacists and Class IV employees began a fast unto death in Mohali on Friday. Seeking their services back,hundreds of protesters from across the state continued a dharna outside Vikas Bhawan (Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats dept headquarters) in Sector 62 while their five colleagues sat on a fast unto death.

After their inconclusive meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday evening,the protesters had,however,agreed late on Thursday night to call down 10 of their colleagues who had climbed atop the six-storied Vikas Bhawan building to commit self-immolation on the assurance of District Planning Committee Chairman N K Sharma to get their services regularised.

With no positive response from the state government,the protesters decided to continue their peaceful stir till they get formal orders on service regularisation. The police remained stationed at the spot to avoid any untoward incident.