Civic body employees up in arms, Burn effigy of authorities to protest non-deposition of provident fund in their accounts

Chandigarh Tribune‎‎‎‎: Patiala: Wednesday, May 18, 2016.

Employees of the Patiala Municipal Corporation (PMC) today burnt an effigy of the authorities to protest against non-deposition of provident fund (PF) in their accounts.

Naresh Boby, one of the employees’ leaders, said the Municipal Corporation had failed to deposit the provident fund of the more than 2,600 employees of the corporation for the past four years.

He said the civic body now owed over Rs 13 crore to the employees as PF. Besides, the premium of the group insurance of the employees was also not being paid.

He said the corporation was also been holding back the retirement dues of the employees.

“The employees have also taken up the issues of contractual employees, who are being subjected to exploitation at the hands of the contractors,” the employees’ leader said.

Meanwhile, it has come to light that the Municipal Corporation had sold properties worth Rs 28 crore over the past few years to meet the daily expenses of the corporation. Details procured under the RTI Act have revealed that the corporation had sold properties in various parts of the city since 2008 to date worth over Rs 28 crore suggesting that it has been in bad financial health.