Despite CM’s warning, kanungos and patwaris to go on strike

Chandigarh : The patwaris and kanungos in Punjab, under the aegis of The Revenue Patwar Union, have announced to proceed on a pen-down strike from Friday.

However, they will do the flood-related work of the patwar circle they are posted in and not any work in revenue circles, where patwaris’ posts are lying vacant.

For the 4,716 revenue circles, patwaris are posted in only 1,500 circles.

The patwari and kanungos had threatened to go on strike from September 1 in their meeting held on Saturday. They were warned by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann yesterday against proceeding on the pen-down strike. Provisions of ESMA have also been invoked against them. The union will be challenging the order in the court.

As many as 3000 patwar circles are lying vacant, said Harvir Singh Dhindsa, president of the Union. “We were assured that the training period of new patwaris would be reduced from 18 months to one year and this was also announced by CM Mann, but this has not been done. Also, trainees are getting just Rs 167 per day as salary during the training period. They are leaving their jobs as the government has increased their training by six months,” he said. The government is forcing us to work more as they are not willing to fill the 3,000 vacancies,” he added.

“The revenue officials also alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party had opposed the re-employment of retired patwaris when they were in the Opposition in 2021. But when they are in power, they have themselves started re-employing retired patwaris,” he said.

Interestingly, the representatives of the union were to meet a government delegation this morning, but the meeting was cancelled late last night.