Police use water cannons to stop Punjab govt employees' protest march towards CM residence

Chandigarh: Chandigarh Police on Sunday used water cannons to disperse several Punjab government employees who tried to force their way through barricades at the Mohali-Chandigarh border during a protest march towards Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence to press their demands.

The protesting employees have been demanding clearance of dearness allowance (DA) arrears, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and regularisation of contractual computer teachers, among other things.

The protesters, including teachers and employees of the electricity department, held a rally in Mohali before starting the march towards Mann's residence.

As they reached the Mohali-Chandigarh border, they found it barricaded by police. As the protesters tried to force their way through the barricades, police used water cannons to disperse them.

Heavy deployment was made by Chandigarh and Mohali police to prevent the protesters from reaching the CM's residence.

One of the protesters lashed out at the AAP government, accusing it of not accepting any of their demands in the past four years.

The employees have been seeking the implementation of the OPS, for which the state government issued a notification in 2022. Despite the notification being issued, it has not been implemented yet, he said.

He further claimed that 18 per cent DA of the employees is pending.

The protesters threatened to intensify their agitation if their demands were not accepted.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring criticised the AAP government for not accepting the employees' demands.

"CM Bhagwant Mann makes tall claims of running a 'people's government', but the scenes from Mohali tell a different story," he said in a post on X.

"When government employees -- the very people who run the administration -- are forced to march towards the Chief Minister's residence to seek justice, it reflects deep resentment and growing frustration within the system.

"If your own employees are on the streets protesting, who is really happy with this government? Punjab deserves dialogue, not force. A government that claims to stand with workers must first learn to hear their voice," Warring said.