A letter written to the administrator against ESMA in PGI.
The Joint Action Committee of Chandigarh PGI contract staff (JAC) has written a letter to Chandigarh Administrator Gulabchand Kataria demanding immediate withdrawal of ESMA (Essential Services Management Act) implemented from 11 August 2025. Union alleges that Haryana SS
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He says that this step is not only provoking but also wrong according to the law, because PGI is a central autonomous institution and only the central government has the right to install ESMA, not the Chandigarh administration.
Ignoring court and government order Ashwani Kumar Munjal, chairman of the Joint Action Committee of PGI Contract Worker Union, said that this order is an attempt to attack the rights of the employees and suppress the pending demands. This includes the issue of outstanding salary of more than Rs 80 crore and “equal work, equal pay”, which has already been approved by the central government and courts.
Chairman Munjal alleged that U.T. The administration implemented ESMA without giving necessary notices and hearing under Section 6 (2). This has not only ignored the court order, but has also violated the government’s instructions issued on 9 October 2018 and 13 January 2023.
Chairman Ashwani Munjal.
Try to press voice The union said that this order is PGI There is a way to protect the management from accountability and avoid legitimate demands of employees. He warned that if ESMA is not withdrawn, it would be like suppressing the voice of the working class and will deepen the trench between the employees and the management.
The union said that the Central Government had issued an order on 9 October 2018 and directed to give respect salary, which was also upheld by the High Court on 13 March 2019. After this, in 2024 and 2025 also the Ministry and CACL approved the payment, but PGI. The administration has not yet implemented orders.
