Patiala, June 6 -- Police on Friday resorted to a lathicharge to disperse apprentice linemen protesting outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters here after they blocked both entry gates.

The protesters, under the banner of the Apprenticeship Lineman Union, have been staging a sit-in outside the power utilities' headquarters since June 1, demanding regularisation of services and exemption from a proposed recruitment examination for assistant lineman posts.

Union leaders claimed 20 protesters sustained injuries during the police action and were admitted to the nearby hospitals for treatment. Protesters continued their sit-in at the complex's main gate.

Around 10 protesters were admitted to Government Rajind...