Purchasing agencies employees go on strike in Patiala

The workers of all the five government-owned foodgrain purchasing agencies here went on strike today protesting against alleged beating of two of their fellow employees by farmers.
The firms are-- Punjab Warehouse Corporation, Pungrain, Punjab Agro, Punsup and Markfed.
Due to the strike, no purchasing and lifting of wheat was done in Patiala district today.
Demanding registration of police case against the farmers who allegedly manhandled the two inspectors, the staff under the banner of the Foodgrain Agencies Employees Coordination Committee also staged a 'dharna' outside the office of Patiala Deputy Commissioner.
Senior vice president of the Committee Vidhu Shekher Bhardwaj alleged that there had been two incidents of beating of inspectors in the recent past.

However, no case has been registered in any of the incidents, he said.
State vice president of the committee Harkishan Singh Chahal said if a case is not registered by tomorrow morning, the employees of all the five agencies throughout Punjab will go on strike.
'Meanwhile, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti when contacted said he had directed the Patiala SSP to take action in this regard.