Employees of Ayushman Arogya Kendras (formerly Aam Aadmi Clinics), under the banner of the Aam Aadmi Clinic Sanjha Front, today threatened to stage a protest in Sangrur on November 12 and said they could suspend services indefinitely if their demands for job security, higher remuneration and benefits on a par with regular government employees were not met.Paramjit Singh, president of the Aam Aadmi Clinic Pharmacist Union, Punjab, said employees at around 1,090 clinics functioning in the state, including doctors, pharmacists, clinical assistants and other staff, were apprehensive about job security with the Assembly elections approaching.“The Mohalla Clinics in Delhi were closed after the BJP formed the government, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann too recently said that such clinics may be closed in Punjab if AAP does not remain in power,” he said, adding that the employees had held several meetings with the Health Minister and senior officials, but no decision had been taken on their demands.Dr Talwinder Pal Singh, president of the Aam Aadmi Party Medical Officer Association, said more than 4,000 employees were working in the clinics. He said the employees were engaged through empanelment and demanded that they be brought on contract.He said they were seeking an increase in incentives, payment for 365 days a year, leave on Jattvibedays and gazetted holidays, and health and life insurance, including cashless insurance.The employees currently received Rs 50 per patient for a medical officer, Rs 12 for a pharmacy officer and Rs 11 for a clinical assistant, he said.Jasveer Kaur, president of the Aam Aadmi Clinic Clinical Assistant Association, said the Chief Minister had assured “pakka rozgaar”, but the clinic staff had not been given job security. She sought a meeting with the Chief Minister and said the employees wanted to be brought under a government department instead of being engaged through empanelment.