Apprentice linemen lathicharged as recruitment protest intensifies in Patiala

Patiala: Tensions escalated outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters in Patiala on Thursday when police lathicharged protesting members of the 2600 Apprenticeship Lineman Union after they intensified their agitation over recruitment demands.Police acted after protesters attempted to block and lock the entry gates of the PSPCL headquarters. Heavy police deployment at the site intervened to prevent disruption of official operations. During the confrontation, police used batons to disperse the crowd, leading to injuries among several protesters.Union representatives alleged that police personnel used excessive force, dragged protesters away from the demonstration site.The apprentices, most of whom are ITI-trained linemen undergoing apprenticeship with PSPCL, have been protesting since June 1, alleging that the power utility failed to honour written assurances regarding their recruitment as assistant linemen.According to union representatives, the dispute dated back to a protest held from April 9 to April 27. The apprentices claimed PSPCL officials had then assured them that a Punjabi language test would be conducted and successful candidates would be considered for appointment as assistant linemen. Based on those assurances, the protesters ended their agitation and resumed duties on April 28.The union further alleged that after repeated follow-ups yielded no progress, another protest was launched on May 7. During subsequent discussions, PSPCL management reportedly provided a written assurance that the Punjabi language examination would be conducted by June 30 and that attendance-related issues arising from the earlier protest period would be resolved. However, no notification regarding the examination or attendance regularisation was issued, prompting the apprentices to resume their protest in Patiala.Union leaders said a meeting with department officials on June 3 ended in disappointment after the management allegedly withdrew from its earlier commitments and informed them that they would first have to complete their apprenticeship before becoming eligible for recruitment under a 35 per cent quota reserved for apprentices.The incident triggered political reactions across Punjab. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the police action, describing it as "brutal and barbaric". He said the visuals of police using force against unemployed youth were disturbing and alleged that the govt failed to address their legitimate employment concerns. Warring also warned that those responsible for the incident would be held accountable.Senior Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa termed the lathi-charge an attack on the dignity of Punjab's youth. He accused the state govt of responding to demands for employment with force rather than dialogue and called for action against officials responsible for ordering the police operation. Randhawa also demanded medical assistance and compensation for injured protesters.Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised the police action and urged the state govt to address the apprentices' demands through negotiations.The protesting apprentices warned of intensifying their agitation if their demands were not addressed. Union leaders stated that future demonstrations could include protests outside the residences of elected representatives and senior govt officials.Security remained tightened around the PSPCL headquarters on Friday evening amid concerns over further demonstrations. Director Commercial PSPCL, HK Trehan could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.