Patiala, June 5
Tension prevailed outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters in Patiala after police resorted to a lathi-charge on protesting apprentice linemen who have been staging a sit-in for the past five days demanding recruitment.
The incident occurred when members of the 2600 Apprentice Linemen Union allegedly blocked Gate No. 2 of the PSPCL office near Sheranwala Gate during their ongoing protest. Police said they made repeated requests to clear the entrance as hundreds of employees were scheduled to leave the premises, but the protesters refused to open the gate.
Following the standoff, police carried out a mild lathi-charge and detained several protest leaders. The action triggered strong reactions from the unemployed apprentice linemen, who accused the authorities of using force against peaceful demonstrators.
Protesters claimed the Punjab government had introduced a new recruitment policy that discontinued the apprentice-based hiring system and proposed direct recruitment through ITI qualifications. They alleged that, following earlier demonstrations, assurances had been given that existing apprentices would be recruited by June 30 after a written Punjabi language test.
According to the protesters, no recruitment test was conducted, prompting them to resume their agitation. They further alleged that during a recent meeting, PSPCL officials informed them that recruitment was not possible, which has led to growing frustration among the apprentices.
Meanwhile, DSP City-I Sanjeev Singla defended the police action, stating that protesters had been repeatedly asked to continue their demonstration peacefully and avoid obstructing official operations. He said police were left with no option but to use mild force after repeated appeals failed.
Despite the confrontation, the apprentice linemen’s protest continued outside the main gate of the PSPCL headquarters, with demonstrators vowing to intensify their agitation until their demands are addressed.
