Mazdoor Union activists block traffic

PATIALA, MARCH 4: The Punjab Kirti Mazdoor Union today blocked the Mall Road here and organised a protest demonstration-cum-rally in front of the head office of the Punjab State Electricity Board. The rally started at 11 a.m. and continued till 3 p.m. and the police had a tough time controlling the protestors. The traffic on the road had to be diverted and the commuters were greatly inconvenienced.

The gherao was lifted around 4.30 p.m. when a delegation of the union presented a memorandum of demands to the board representatives. The union has threatened to intensify its ongoing agitation if the government failed to accept its demands soon.

Union president Barru Satwarg said that after today8217;s dharna, the union would take stock of the situation during a state body meeting which would be called soon.

Lamenting against the state government he said it was adopting double standards. On the one hand it had ordered free electricity for farmers but on the other it has adopted an indifferent attitude towards the demand of free electricity for farm labourers.

Satwarg said if the government failed to accept the demands soon, the Union may decide to exhort its cadres not to pay electricity bills in future.