Amid the festive season, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has announced a significant 8 per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA). Employee unions met with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Chandigarh on Friday and reached an agreement on the pending dearness allowance (DA). Afterwards, the government decided to increase the DA by eight per cent.
This increase will be made in two instalments of four per cent each. After this, the DA of Punjab employees will increase to 50 per cent. Significantly, the increased DA will be released with this month’s salary. This decision, taken just before the festival season, is expected to provide financial relief to employees and pensioners.
A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led to an agreement between the government and representatives of employee unions on dearness allowance (DA). Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Aam Aadmi Party state president and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, and Cabinet Minister Dr Baljeet Kaur were also present. On the employee side, 12 representatives from pensioners and various employee unions participated in the meeting. These included the Sanjha Front of Pensioners, the Sanyukt Mulazim Manch, the Punjab Secretariat Association, and the Punjab Civil Secretariat Officers Association (Retired).
Dearness allowance will increase in two instalments
According to the consensus reached at the meeting, employees’ dearness allowance will be increased by a total of 8 per cent. This increase will be implemented in two instalments of 4 per cent each. After this, the total dearness allowance will increase to 50 per cent. The government has said it will include the increased dearness allowance in this month’s salary. This will allow employees to benefit from the increased salary before the festive season.
Long-pending demand
Employees’ and pensioners’ organisations have long demanded payment of pending dearness allowance instalments and arrears. Protests erupted across the state in August and September over this issue. Previous talks between the Chief Minister and employee leaders in Jalandhar failed. A meeting with Chief Secretary KAP Sinha later facilitated negotiations. The meeting held in Chandigarh on Friday also addressed other pending demands of employees and pensioners, including the dearness allowance.
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