Punjab Government Raises DA By 8 Per Cent For Employees, Pensioners From October 1

The Punjab government has approved an 8 percentage point hike in dearness allowance (DA) for around eight lakh government employees and pensioners. The revised DA will take the rate to 50 per cent from October 1.

The higher DA will be given in two instalments of 4 percentage points each. The announcement comes ahead of the festive season, after months of protests over pending allowances and other service-related demands.

DA Hike To Start From October 1

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had announced the decision after a meeting with employee and pensioner organisations on September 18.

The meeting was attended by ministers Aman Arora and Baljeet Kaur, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Secretary General Administration KK Yadav, along with representatives of employee and pensioner groups.

According to a PTI report, Gurnam Singh Virk, president of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union, has confirmed that the revised DA would apply from October 1. He also mentioned that other pending demands raised by employees would be taken up with the government.

The DA hike is separate from the dispute over old pending dues. The latest decision only covers the revised DA rate going forward.

Rs 14,191 Crore Arrears Still A Separate Issue

Government employees and pensioners have also been seeking payment of accumulated dearness allowance and dearness relief (DR) arrears.

The total amount involved is around Rs 14,191 crore. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the state government to clear the outstanding dues within a fortnight.

The Punjab government has challenged that order in the Supreme Court. The state has argued that paying the entire amount within such a short period would put a major financial burden on the government.

The latest DA announcement does not settle this dispute or set a new timeline for payment of the accumulated arrears.

The issue had gathered momentum on August 27, when more than three lakh government employees reportedly took mass casual leave. One of their demands was the release of the pending 18 per cent DA.

More Employee Demands To Be Discussed

The government and employee representatives are expected to meet again in the first week of October.

The discussions are likely to cover demands linked to the old pension scheme, salaries during the probation period, and issues involving ASHA and mid-day meal workers.

The government has indicated that these demands will be considered based on financial implications, existing rules and legal provisions.

The 8 percentage point DA hike therefore, addresses one of the key demands raised by employees and pensioners, while other issues are still pending discussions.