Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
The dispute over Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees in Punjab has intensified, with the matter now reaching the Supreme Court. Punjab ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora and Baljit Kaur addressed a press conference to present the state government’s position on the issue.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said Punjab’s government employees are among the highest-paid employees in the country. He claimed that when basic pay and DA are combined, salaries of Punjab government employees are higher than those in Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Cheema further claimed that Punjab employees receive around 28% higher salaries compared with government employees in Gujarat. According to him, Punjab spends nearly 51% of its total revenue on employees and pensioners, the highest proportion among states, while the national average is around 38%.
He also claimed that Punjab employees have the highest take-home salaries in the country. Comparing their pay and DA with Central Government employees, Cheema said Punjab employees remain ahead. He cited clerks, drivers, stenographers, teachers and police personnel as examples of categories where salaries are higher than those of their Central Government counterparts.
Cheema Accuses Opposition of Spreading ‘Wrong Facts’
Cheema accused opposition parties of spreading misinformation over the DA issue. He said that when the present government came to power, employees were receiving 28% DA. This was increased to 34% in October, 38% in December 2023 and 42% in November 2024, he said.
Addressing the issue of arrears, Cheema said around ₹14,191 crore in pending payments relates to the period between 2016 and 2021, when the state was governed by Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance.
He said the present government is clearing these old dues and had also submitted a liquidation plan before the High Court, which was accepted. So far, around ₹4,500 crore has been paid to employees and pensioners, Cheema claimed.
Cheema said previous governments had announced the implementation of DA in 2021 and promised arrears, but the Congress government could not clear the dues before leaving office. He maintained that the current government has already paid ₹4,500 crore and remains committed to the interests of employees.
‘State Has Its Own Rules for DA’: Baljit Kaur
Cabinet Minister Baljit Kaur said salaries, pensions and DA of Punjab government employees are determined under the Punjab Civil Services Revised Pay Rules, 2021, and Article 309 of the Constitution.
She said the rules were framed during the Congress government and do not contain any provision making a fixed DA rate, Central DA index, automatic formula or Central Government rules mandatory for Punjab.
According to Baljit Kaur, the Punjab Government has the authority to decide the quantum and timing of DA payments under its applicable rules. She argued that every state has the right to frame its own service rules and exercise its constitutional powers accordingly.
The ministers’ statements come amid an escalating dispute over DA payments, with the issue now being examined by the Supreme Court.
