On the third connective day more than 70 Employees’ Unions of the Rural Development and Panchayats and Local Bodies departments today turned up before the High Powered Committee led by the Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal to flag their concerns, cases of pay anomalies, departmental promotions and filling of the vacant posts .Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the government said that various unions presented their cases before the committee. Most of the cases were pertaining to the pay anomalies and delayed salaries. The Chief Secretary announced that the Punjab government has already announced today the setting up of 6th Pay Commission under the chairmanship of former Chief Secretary Mr. R.S.Mann. He categorically requested all the unions to present their cases related to pay anomalies before the pay commission. He assured that the government is ready to resolve all the pending issues of the daily wage workers, clerical staff and Executive cadre of the Local Bodies department in a limited time frame.
The Chief Secretary himself read out the basic demands presented by the unions on their letter heads and he assured the leaders of the unions that a composite draft based on the demands would be prepared and presented before the Chief Minister for final approval. The representatives of the Employees’ unions were elated with the response of the high powered committee which had given a very sympathetic and patient hearing to their demands.Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. S.K.Sandhu disclosed that Chief Minister himself is concerned and taking personal interest in resolving all the long pending demands of the unions and has directed the high powered committee to make a blue print of the demands for the final nod of the Punjab government. Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Secretary Local Government, Mr. Deepinder Singh Secretary Rural Development, Mr. Vikas Pratap, Secretary Personnel, Raji P Srivastva, Mr. K.A.P. Sinha, Secretary Coordination, Ms. Gurpreet Sapra Special Secretary Personnel and Priyank Bharti Director Local Bodies.