Kulwinder Mahal
The North News
Patiala, March 27
Nursing staff at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala continued their protest for a second day on Friday, demanding that the Punjab government implement the long-promised Rs 4,600 grade pay. Members of the United Nurses Association of Punjab said they had held several meetings with the state government on the issue and had also received written assurances that the revised grade pay would be introduced.
However, they said that despite six months having passed since those assurances were given, the government had neither implemented the pay revision nor called any further meeting on the matter. The protesting nurses said they had been left with no option but to resume their agitation after waiting for half a year without any progress.
They added that the protest was not limited to Patiala, but was also being observed at major government hospitals in Amritsar and Mohali.
The nursing staff warned that if the government failed to take concrete steps to address their demand, the agitation would be intensified in the coming days.
The protest has once again brought attention to simmering discontent among healthcare workers in Punjab over pay parity and delayed implementation of official commitments.
