Demanding regularisation, employees of de-addiction centres across Punjab go on strike

Patiala, May 4

Demanding regularisation, employees of De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centers and OOAT clinics across Punjab went on strike on Monday morning.

The employees held a protest at their centres, wearing black ribbons and holding placards. In some districts, employees also raised slogans against the government.

Following the strike by the employees, drug addicts could not get their daily dosage and were seen waiting in queues for the strike to end.

The employees are on strike at a time when the number of drug addicts has increased in the state during the lockdown.

The employees, who are working under district-level committees since 2014, said they had been providing round-the-clock services to make Punjab a drug-free state and save Punjabi youth from drugs, but authorities were not taking care of them.

Parminder Singh, state president, said they were serving the state, but the Punjab government was ignoring their demands of regularisation.

He said, “We are trying to rid of the state from drugs, but the government is not taking care of us. We are working on small salaries. The government should put us under the health department and regularise.”

"Sixty thousand patients have already got admission to the OAAT clinics and drug de-addiction centres during the lockdown, which has put a heavy burden on the employees," said Parminder Singh.

An employee said, “Due to the closure of public transport, they have to cover a distance of 50-100 km every day to reach their places of duty. We are getting a salary between Rs 7000 to 20,000—depending on the rank. It is very difficult to meet household expenses with meagre salaries.”

The government Drug De-Addiction & Rehabilitation Employees Union Punjab said if the government didn’t their genuine demands, they would intensify their protests.