Even as the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP Government in Punjab invoked the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (ESMA) against them, the Revenue Patwar Union on Thursday announced a strike by revenue officials from Friday.

The indefinite pen-down strike is, however, unlikely to affect flood relief works in the state as the employees kept them outside the purview of the strike.

Over 2,000 employees of the state have responded to a call for the indefinite pen-down strike, under the banner of the Revenue Patwar Union and the Revenue Kanungo Association, in protest against registration of a corruption case against a ‘patwari’ and a ‘kanungo’ (both revenue officials) in Sangrur district a week ago.

President of the Revenue Patwar Union Harvir Singh Dhindsa said patwaris and kanungos (revenue officials) will do the flood-related work only in the patwar circle of their posting while no work will be done in the circles for which the officials have been given additional charge as patwaris’ posts are lying vacant.

The pen-down strike is bound to affect the Revenue Department work across the state as out of the 4,716 revenue circles, patwaris are posted only in 1,500 circles.

Revenue Patwar Union President Dhindsa said the chief minister should hand over the pens to youths and over 3,000 vacant posts to patwaris (revenue officials who keep records regarding land ownership).

Dhindsa said out of 4,716 patwari posts, 3,000 were lying vacant. He said the posting circles were created when Punjab had 12 districts. “Now Punjab has 23 districts, but the number of posts has remained the same, and 3,000 posts are vacant,” he said.

The Union leader said they were assured by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that the training period of new patwaris would be reduced from 18 months to one year but this has not been implemented.

He said trainee patwaris are getting just Rs 167 per day as salary during the training period which is less than the daily wage paid to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

“The 1,716 patwaris were holding an additional charge of 3,000 posts. From tomorrow onwards, we will not work additionally on circles on which we are not posted but are holding extra charge. We will work on our posting only. We will not say no to flood-related work, but we will not do any other work. If the collector of our area asks us to do extra work, we will move the high court,” said Dhindsa.

“New recruits are leaving their jobs as the government has increased their training by six months. Over 3000 posts are lying vacant and the government is forcing us to work in addition to assigned work which is not justified. The promises made to us are not being fulfilled,” he added.

The patwari and kanungos had threatened to go on strike from September 1 in their meeting held on Saturday. Taking strict cognisance of proposed agitation by revenue department officers “in favor of their corrupt colleagues”, the CM on Wednesday warned them of strict disciplinary action against such erring officers. Provisions of ESMA have also been invoked against them.