Call for bandh on Feb 12

PATIALA, JAN 31: Patiala Beopar Mandal has called for a total bandh in the city on February 12 against the "state government’s failure to safeguard the interests of the traders of the state".

In a joint statement here today, Nirmal Dass Malhotra and Gulshan Singh Bedi president and general secretary respectively, of the Mandal, alleged the government has failed to honour its commitments towards the people. They said the alliance had promised to end the contractor system, but octroi charges were hiked in Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala instead, badly affecting the traders.

Both the leaders said the Mandal has called an emergency meeting of its executive in the first week of February to chalk out its new action programme and is determined to observe a bandh on February 12.The Shiromani Akali Dal has also planned to organise a political conference at Patiala on February 12 and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will preside over the meet.