1 more tests +ve for Covid

Amritsar: The district on Monday reported one more positive case of Covid-19, taking the count to 47,379. The Health Department has also reported the recovery of three patients with which the recovery count has improved to 45,760. At present, the district has a total of 19 active cases. TNS

Ministerial staff on 3-day leave

Amritsar: With ministerial employees, including those from the Treasury Department, deciding to extend their pen-down strike, the government employees may not get their salaries by this Diwali. The ministerial staff on Monday held a demonstration outside the District Treasury Office and raised slogans against the state government seeking fulfilment of their demands. Manjinder Singh Sandhu, president of the union, said on the call given by the Ministerial Services’ Union, the ministerial staff went on three-day mass leave from Monday. He said the strike would continue till November 7. This has stopped all government work. The union has been on holding the pen-down strike since October 8. Jagdish Thakur, district general secretary, said the CM should hold a meeting with union members and fulfil their demands. He said the employees were demanding a 15 per cent increase under the 6th Pay Commission and implementation of the old pension scheme for the employees who were recruited after 2004. He said following a three-day mass leave, a protest would be held outside the mini-secretariat here. Around 25,000 employees from 300 government departments are on strike. TNS