DA Hike: Punjab Government's Decision – DA for Employees and Pensioners Raised by 8%

DA Hike: The Punjab government has decided to increase the Dearness Allowance (DA) by 8 percent. According to the government, implementing this hike will result in an additional expenditure of approximately ₹1,750 crore over the remaining seven months of the current financial year.

DA Hike: The Punjab government provided significant relief to government employees on Friday (September 18). The government announced an 8 percent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA), to be implemented in two installments starting in October. For several weeks, employees and pensioners had been agitating over various demands, including the release of pending DA installments and arrears. This government decision has resolved the long-standing dispute.

This decision was taken following a meeting in Chandigarh between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and representatives of employee and pensioner organizations. Punjab Minister Aman Arora stated that the meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. The Chief Minister held open discussions with employee representatives regarding their demands and other issues, after which the government decided to increase the Dearness Allowance.

What Minister Aman Arora said regarding the DA hike

The DA hike will be implemented in two installments of 4 percent each. Following this, the Dearness Allowance for Punjab government employees and pensioners will rise to 50 percent. Minister Aman Arora stated that the 8 percent DA hike would entail an additional monthly expenditure of approximately ₹248 crore for the Punjab government. Furthermore, the government will incur an additional cost of around ₹1,750 crore over the remaining seven months of the current financial year to cover the increased DA payments for employees and pensioners.

Aman Arora mentioned that the meeting also addressed ongoing court cases related to the DA dispute. Both the Chief Minister and the employee representatives expressed a desire not to pursue these legal matters further. However, some other demands from the employees remain pending; the government plans to hold separate monthly meetings with employee organizations to discuss these issues.

Escalation of DA dispute; talks stalled due to employee strikes

A standoff regarding DA and salary-related issues had persisted for several weeks between the Punjab government and its employees. The scheduled meeting between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and employee representatives in Jalandhar did not take place. Mann had insisted that the employees withdraw their agitation before talks could be held. The government had also enforced a ‘no work, no pay’ rule for employees absent from duty during the protest.