Ludhiana, May 16

A group of retired employees of the Canal Lining Arrear Division, here, has demanded from the government not to shift the official records from Ludhiana to Lehal Division, Patiala. They have written to Chief Minister and the authorities concerned in this regard.

These retirees claimed that if the records were shifted from Ludhiana to Patiala, they would be forced to visit the Patiala office for pension-related and other issues amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jatinder Kumar Khaira, retired SDO, said: “Amid the present crisis, an order was issued by the Water Resources Punjab, Chandigarh, that the records of the Canal Lining Arrear Division, now merged with the Sidhwan Canal Division, Ludhiana, has to be shifted to the Lehal Division, Patiala. If the records are shifted there, the retirees will face a lot of inconvenience.”

He said, “We retired from the office of the Canal Lining Arrear Division situated at the Improvement Trust Building, Feroze Gandhi Market, in Ludhiana. All records of the lining division and the service cases, accounts branch cases, record branch cases, and the court cases are at present lying at the Lining Arrears Division that has merged with the Sidhwan Canal Division, Ludhiana.”

He said: “It is convenient for retired employees and other employees to deal with their records and other pension and service benefits from the Ludhiana office. If the records are shifted to Patiala, it will be inconvenient for themto approach the office, situated in Patiala. It will be difficult for the retirees to visit the Patiala office for pension-related or other matters. We request to the government not to shift the records.”

Another retiree said, “It will itself cause an unnecessary financial burden on the government. There is no need to shift any records from the Ludhiana office to Patiala. We demand from the government to direct the authorities concerned to withdraw the order.” — TNS