Chandigarh: The Punjab govt has reconstituted a cabinet sub-committee to resolve long-standing issues regarding pay commission arrears and disbursement of dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for state employees and pensioners.According to a notification issued on April 7, the committee will be chaired by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, with cabinet ministers Aman Arora and Baljit Kaur serving as members. The panel is tasked with examining the financial burden on the state exchequer for the revised pay and pension period from Jan 1, 2016, to June 30, 2021, while also addressing disparities in pay structures for employees recruited after July 17, 2020. The committee will also examine the implications of the high court judgment in the case of Dr Saurabh Sharma vs. State of Punjab, added the notification. The committee will also look into the existence of different pay structures presently applicable to employees in the state and the pay scales being granted on the pattern of the 7th Central Pay Commission to employees recruited on or after July 17, 2020. The opposition parties have objected to the move, terming it an attempt to put the issue on the back burner. The issue stems from the implementation of the 6th Punjab Pay Commission, which was notified in July 2021 but backdated to 2016. While the state govt officially approved a phased payment schedule for arrears in Feb 2025, the actual disbursement has been repeatedly delayed. Employees and retirees have argued that while the govt has passed two budgets since that approval, no specific allocations were made to fulfil these promises. Questioning the move, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said, “Instead of clearing long-pending arrears, the Punjab govt has formed another committee. The issue has been pushed to the back burner, not resolved. Employees and pensioners continue to wait as delays drag on. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann has shown complacency on a serious financial issue. Rs 14,000 crore DA must be paid.” Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also said, “The AAP govt’s latest move once again exposes its intent — instead of clearing DA dues, they’ve formed yet another committee to delay the inevitable. Grateful to the Punjab and Haryana high court for standing with Punjab’s employees and pensioners.” MSID:: 130115502 413 |
