Ludhiana, Aug. 2 -- Chaos and inconvenience prevailed across Ludhiana on Friday as all 40-odd sewa kendras in the district remained shut for most of the working day due to a strike by employees protesting "irregular" salary disbursals and "unexplained deductions". The agitated workers staged a demonstration at the deputy commissioners' office here to press their demands.

Citizens who turned up at the kendras to avail essential government services were left fuming as they were either forced to wait for hours or asked to return on the next working day. The kendras, which provide more than 400 public services including birth and death certificates, Aadhaar enrolment, residence and caste certificates, marriage registrations, pension schemes ...