Amritsar, July 19
Being cold-shouldered by the state government even after holding a hunger strike and protesting for nearly 16 days, the members of the Unemployed Veterinary Pharmacist Union have now shifted their protest to Jalalabad.
The union has been demanding employment for nearly 430 of its members.
“As former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal is contesting the by-election from Jalalabad,
so we have decided to shift our protest there. This is an effort to remind Badal about the commitment he made in June 2006 about giving employment to veterinary pharmacists,” said Gurdeep Singh Chhanna, general secretary of the Union.
In the past 16 days, the members of the union have staged protests outside the residence of Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike as well as outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They were even sent in judicial custody for three days.
“Throughout the protest, nobody listened to our grievances. We spent nearly 16 days on footpaths as well as in jail, but we were totally ignored by the authorities,” said Chhanna.
He said two union members were on hunger strike ever since the protest started, and would continue it in Jalalabad.
“Gurpreet Nabha and Davinder Malerkotla are on fast unto death and will not end it till the government fulfills our demands and provides employment to all our 430 members,” said Chhanna.
SOURCE-HT
