The standoff between government employees and the ruling dispensation is set to escalate as employee organisations under the banner of the Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch on Jattvibeday announced a series of protests from September through October, along with the launch of a campaign titled “Return of the Chief Minister from Chandigarh Secretariat to Village Satauj.”The decisions were taken in a meeting held in Ludhiana. It was decided that district-level gatherings would be held on September 6, followed by a statewide mass leave on September 8 if the government does not withdraw the show-cause notices issued to employees who participated in the mass casual leave on August 27.On September 12 and 13, employees will stage demonstrations outside the residences of various ministers. A massive rally has also been planned in Sangrur on October 10, while employees will again go on mass casual leave on October 21 and 22.Employee leaders said the “Return of the Chief Minister from Chandigarh Secretariat to Village Satauj” campaign symbolised their protest against what they described as the government’s failure to address employees’ demands. Employees also announced a boycott of the documentary on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, titled “From Satauj to Sansad”.The employees have further decided to set up a symbolic “Employees’ Assembly” in Chandigarh on September 30 and invite all 117 MLAs and 13 MPs to attend. The coordination committee has also declared solidarity with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and decided to participate in the farmers’ protest scheduled in Chandigarh from September 1 to 7.The standoff between the employees and the government began on August 27 when more than three lakh government employees participated in a mass casual leave programme.On the same day, a meeting between CM Mann and employee representatives scheduled in Jalandhar was called off after the CM stated that talks would be held only if the unions withdrew their strike call. Administrative secretaries and heads of departments were directed on Saturday to issue show-cause notices to employees found absent without authorisation, a move that further intensified the agitation.