PWD workers assigned to sell liquor in Mandi; Sukhu govt faces backlash

MANDI: The Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal Pradesh government is facing severe criticism after ordering Public Works Department (PWD) workers to operate unsold liquor vends in Dharampur sub-division of Mandi district.

A total of 22 multi-task workers (MTWs) — 12 from Tihra and 10 from Madhi — have been directed to staff liquor shops that failed to attract bidders during the state’s auction process.
The orders, issued by the Executive Engineer of the Dharampur PWD sub-division, instruct subordinate officers to relieve the workers immediately.

These MTWs were originally recruited for road construction and infrastructure projects under the PWD. Their reassignment to liquor sales is being called a clear violation of service terms.
The move has drawn a strong protest from the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). District president Bhupender Singh called the decision “unconstitutional, exploitative, and absurd.”

He said the government’s policy failure — particularly the inability to auction nearly 260 liquor shops this year — is now being offloaded onto workers.
“PWD workers are not bonded labour. Forcing them to run liquor vends is an abuse of authority,” said Bhupender. He pointed out that while PWD staff work 9-to-5, liquor vends remain open for over 12 hours — making this an impractical and unlawful move.

The CITU has demanded the immediate cancellation of the orders and warned of mass protests if the decision isn’t rolled back. The union has also asked the local MLA to publicly clarify whether the deployment was made with his knowledge and consent.

Munish Sood