After a discussion with representatives from the Punjab State Ministerial Service Union, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann declared a 4% rise in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state employees.
The gathering aimed to delve into the various concerns and issues faced by the employees, engaging in comprehensive discussions.
Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann shared the outcome of the meeting with the union representatives. He expressed his pleasure in being able to extend a New Year’s gift to the state employees, highlighting the 4% increment in DA.
This increment is slated to take effect from December 1, 2023, bringing about a positive change in the financial aspects for the employees across Punjab.
After this 4% hike, the DA will increase from 34% to 38%. This raise will be effective from December 1, 2023. The Chief Minister will hold a meeting on this matter shortly. However, the union representatives stated that they had come for the meeting with the Chief Minister only after ending the strike.
They mentioned that the Chief Minister tweeted about the DA increment during the ongoing meeting. While they had demanded a 12% DA hike, as other states receive 46%, they trust the government will soon complete the process and endeavour to provide DA equivalent to other states for fairness.
Announcement of paying the remaining 4% installment of DA for Punjab employees ends the strike ongoing for 40 days. Over 50,000 employees across 52 government departments in Punjab were demanding the reinstatement of an old pension scheme, release of pending DA installments, and alignment of DA as per the central government. The strike has affected work, delaying salaries for state employees.
Soon after the DA announcement the strike, of state government employees active for the past 40 days in Punjab demanding various concessions, including DA, was called off following the CM’s assurance. Employees had returned to work on Monday after the announcement from the CM’s office. The PSMSU had been on strike, leaving 52 departments affected for about one and a half months.
Chief Minister Mann is scheduled to meet with PSMSU representatives at 12:30 PM at Punjab Bhawan today. Amarjit Singh Sandhu, President of PSMSU, mentioned that the union representatives were called to Chandigarh on Friday for discussions. During that time, they were also given time for a face-to-face meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at Punjab Bhawan on December 18 at 12:30 PM. He mentioned that officials have appealed to the union to call off the strike, considering the approaching Martyrdom Day of the younger Sahibzadas.
Sandhu stated that considering this appeal from the officials, the union has agreed to suspend the strike for some time. Additionally, apart from the CM, Private Secretary Himanshu Jain has instructed all district commissioners and SSPs to appoint nodal officers to facilitate the participation of union representatives in the aforementioned meeting.
