Dearness Allowance: DA hike, OPS, pension revision — Check demands made by Punjab state govt employees, pensioners

Dearness Allowance: The Joint Coordination Committee (JAC) of Punjab Government Employees and Pensioners has pushed for long-pension DA and pension related demands to be fulfilled by the state government, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.

Members demonstrated outside cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Mundian's house in Ludhiana and submitted a memorandum demanding quick resolution, it added.

What do Punjab govt employees, pensioners want?

• Approval for 18% DA hike,
• Restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS),

• Implementation of the 4-9-14 Assured Career Progression (ACP) Scheme,
• Withdrawal of notifications related to probation and pay rules,
• Regularisation of contractual, outsourced and other temporary employees,
• Revision of pensions in line with the recommendations of the 6th Punjab state pay commission.
• Restoration of withdrawn allowances,
• Enhancement of retirement gratuity,
• Implementation of the 6th Punjab state pay commission’s remaining recommendations, and
• Extension of minimum wages to women working on honorarium under various government schemes.

Protesting employees to hold rally on 17 July

Notably, the JAC has called for a rally on 17 July (Next Friday) in Mohali to further press their demands warning that more delay from the state government would leave them no option but to strengthen protests, the report added.

It cited the JAC leaders' statement as: “The government has repeatedly sought time but has failed to implement the commitments made to employees and pensioners. Today’s protest is a clear warning. If our demands are not resolved, employees and pensioners across Punjab will participate in the July 17 rally at Mohali, and the agitation will be intensified further,” the joint coordination committee leaders said.

Punjab considering DA, DR, payment of arrears

Notably, the Punjab government on 30 May announced that it will consider payment of pending DA and dearness relief (DR) dues of state government employees (across categories) and pensioners for the period between 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2024.

It also said that a sub-committee will discuss payment of arrears for employees and pensioners based on revised salary and pension benefits for the period between 1 January 2016 to 30 June 2021, PTI reported.

The Punjab Cabinet has granted ex-post facto approval for the reconstitution of a Cabinet sub-committee comprising Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora and Baljit Kaur to examine issues related to pending arrears of revised pay, pensions, leave encashment and dearness allowance, it said.

The same day, the government added that it has approved the process to dismantle a decades-old contractual employment system and regularisation framework for over 65,000 workers across 51 government departments, as per the report.

“A total of 65,048 outsourced workers across 51 departments fall within the ambit of this reform and more than 26,000 workers will be among the first beneficiaries,” Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had stated. He added that workers performing duties involving risks to life and health will receive faster consideration under the policy.