Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has announced a 3 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners ahead of Diwali, taking the total DA rate to 53 per cent. The decision is expected to benefit around 8 lakh employees and pensioners across the state.
According to the announcement, the increased DA will be reflected in November salaries, while pensioners will receive the revised allowance with their December pension.
Announcing the decision, CM Mann said that when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government came to power in 2022, government employees were receiving 28 per cent DA. He added that the government had increased DA by a total of 11 percentage points over the past two months, including an 8 per cent hike announced in September 2026.
Mann said the latest 3 per cent increase would provide a financial benefit of approximately Rs 363 crore to employees and pensioners.
The Chief Minister further stated that around Rs 1,088 crore would go into employees' accounts over a year. Considering the cumulative 11 per cent DA hike, the annual financial benefit would amount to approximately Rs 3,988 crore.
He maintained that the government was committed to employee welfare and would leave no stone unturned in providing relief to government employees and pensioners.
Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids, Mann said that visits by central agencies such as the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) often indicated that elections were approaching.
He expressed confidence that the ongoing action would not yield anything.
CM Mann Takes Dig at Previous Governments
During his address, Mann also highlighted the success of the Chief Minister's Teerth Yatra Scheme, saying around 2,000 people were undertaking religious journeys under the initiative. He said beneficiaries were visiting destinations such as Salasar, Vrindavan and the Golden Temple to offer prayers.
The Chief Minister said the AAP government had been in power for nearly five years but had never claimed that the state treasury was empty.
