Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema Chairs Meeting with Employees’ Union, Union Withdraws Strike
Chandigarh, July 29:
Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday chaired a meeting with representatives of the MGNREGA/VB GRAM G Employees’ Union and successfully resolved their long-pending demands through constructive dialogue and mutual consensus. The resolution paves the way for the statewide implementation of the VB GRAM G initiative from July 30, while bringing to an end the employees’ nearly two-month-long strike.
The meeting marked the culmination of a series of discussions held over the past several weeks.
The finance minister said that issues relating to service conditions, contractual tenure, migration to the VB GRAM G framework, remuneration and other administrative matters were taken up with all the stakeholders and all the genuine demands of the union were accepted by the Punjab Government. The decisions are expected to benefit nearly 2,000 MGNREGA/VB GRAM G employees across Punjab.
Speaking after the meeting, Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, remains committed to safeguarding the interests of its employees while ensuring efficient delivery of public services.
“The State Government firmly believes in resolving genuine issues through dialogue, consultation and consensus. Today’s agreement reflects our commitment to employee welfare as well as our resolve to strengthen rural development by ensuring the smooth implementation of the VB GRAM G programme across Punjab,” he said.
Expressing satisfaction over the outcome of the discussions, representatives of the MGNREGA/VB GRAM G Employees’ Union thanked Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema and Rural Development & Panchayats Minister S. Tarunpreet Singh Sond for resolving their long-pending demands in an amicable manner.
The Union also announced the immediate withdrawal of its strike and assured the Government of its full cooperation in implementing rural development programmes across the State.
Following the successful resolution, the VB GRAM G initiative will now be executed smoothly in all villages across Punjab from tomorrow onwards. All employees will resume duties and actively participate in the implementation of the programme to ensure timely wage employment for rural households, expedite the creation of durable rural assets and further strengthen rural infrastructure and development.
The Rural Development & Panchayats Department expressed confidence that the successful rollout of the VB GRAM G initiative, with the wholehearted support of its employees, will significantly enhance rural governance, improve public service delivery and contribute to the Punjab Government’s vision of inclusive, sustainable and prosperous rural development.
On this occasion, Principal Secretary Ajit Balaji Joshi, joint development commissioner Shena Aggarwal, special secretary Amit Talwar and union representatives were also present during the meeting.
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