Punjab CM Mann Announces 4% Raise In Dearness Allowance For Govt Employees, Effective From Dec 1

Commenting on the effect of the decision, Aam Aadmi Party Punjab unit chief spokesperson, Malvinder Singh Kang, said that the revision will cost the state exchequer Rs 1,100 crore per annum.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a hike of 4 per cent in dearness allowance (DA) for government employees on Monday. The revision took the DA from 34 per cent to 38 per cent and will be implemented from December 1, 2023.

The announcement was made after the decision to implement the hike was taken in the meeting with the representatives of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU). The CM also held discussions regarding the demands of the employees in the meeting, reported PTI.

The Punjab CM revealed the decision via a social media post on X, saying, “Had a meeting with the representatives of Punjab State Ministerial Service Union today and discussed their issues in detail ... Sharing the good news that we are going to give a new year gift to the employees...DA is increased by 4% which will be considered effective from 1st December 2023.”

Commenting on the effect of the decision, Aam Aadmi Party Punjab unit chief spokesperson, Malvinder Singh Kang, said that the revision will cost the state exchequer Rs 1,100 crore per annum. The minister noted that there are 3.25 lakh employees and 3.50 lakh pensioners in the state. PSMSU president, Amrik Singh, stated after the meeting, that the CM has assured that the remaining 8 per cent DA will also be given. 

Regarding the restoration of the old pension scheme, Mann noted that the state government will raise the matter with the Union government. He issued a statement and informed that a meeting would be held with the Secretary, Finance, Government of India to discuss the issue.

Lately, employees have been calling for a restoration of the old pension scheme, along with a release of the pending 12 per cent DA and regularisation of contractual workers. 

Notably, the PSMSU suspended their more than a-month-long pen-down strike on Sunday. The strike began on November 8. The union suspended the strike after they got a call for a meeting with the CM. 

Among other steps, Mann also asked officers to make sure that the process of filing vacant posts in ministerial services across departments through promotion gets completed within two months. He also said that a committee would be set up to resolve several pending demands of the employees. The CM assured the people that his government is obligated to ‘carve out a Rangla Punjab’.