Municipal Employees’ Strike Enters Second Day in Phagwara; Political Leaders Extend Support to Protesters

Ashok Kaura

Jul 28, 2026 - 20:02

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PHAGWARA: The indefinite strike by employees of the Municipal Corporation, Phagwara, entered its second day on Tuesday, with sanitation workers and activists of the Bhagwan Valmiki Action Committee staging a protest march through the city and reiterating their demands before the Punjab Government.

The protesters assembled at the Municipal Corporation office under the leadership of Bhagwan Valmiki Action Committee president Dharamveer Sethi and later took out a march through Gol Chowk, Flower Chowk, Chatkaiyan Chowk, Sarafan Bazar and Dr B.R. Ambedkar Park before returning to the Municipal Corporation premises, where they continued their sit-in protest.

Addressing the media, Sethi said the employees were not satisfied with the Punjab Government's decision to increase the salaries of Safai Karamcharis and demanded concrete action on their pending issues. He also sought action against the DSP and SHO of Barnala, alleging that the police action against sanitation workers in Barnala had led to the ongoing agitation.

Sethi said the employees would continue their indefinite strike until their demands, including the regularisation of contractual employees, were accepted by the government. He warned that the agitation could be intensified if the government failed to take concrete steps to resolve the issues.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) leaders Ranjit Singh Khurana, Phagwara Urban constituency in-charge and state core committee member of the Industry and Trade Wing, and Rajinder Singh Chandi, Rural constituency in-charge, joined the sanitation workers' sit-in at the Municipal Corporation office and expressed solidarity with the protesters.

Addressing the gathering, Khurana criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government over the handling of the sanitation workers' agitation and alleged that the government had failed to fulfil its commitments to employees. Referring to the alleged lathi-charge on sanitation workers in Barnala, he termed the incident unfortunate and demanded that the concerns of the protesting employees be addressed.

Khurana also claimed that during the previous Shiromani Akali Dal governments led by Parkash Singh Badal, several measures were taken for the welfare of employees and other sections of society. Referring to an incident in 2012, he claimed that during Parkash Singh Badal's visit to Phagwara, a notification was issued for the regularisation of contractual Municipal Corporation employees.

Rajinder Singh Chandi also criticised the state government and alleged that the interests of Punjab were being compromised under the present dispensation. His remarks were part of the Akali Dal's political criticism of the ruling government.

The Akali leaders assured the protesting employees that, if the Shiromani Akali Dal returned to power under the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal after the next Assembly elections, the party would consider and accept the genuine demands of employees.

Congress activists led by MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal also joined the protest and extended their support to the striking employees. The Congress leaders sat with the protesters and urged the state government to engage with the employees and take steps to resolve their demands.

The protest continued at the Municipal Corporation premises, with the employees maintaining that the indefinite strike would remain in force until the government took concrete action on their demands.