Punjab Government Faces Pressure Over Dearness Allowance Payment and Old Pension Scheme

The payment of DA to the employees and pensioners in Punjab is now becoming a big issue before the Bhagwant Mann government before the assembly elections. On Friday (August 7), the employees and pensioners of the Punjab government are going to protest on the issue of DA payment and Old Pension Scheme. According to the leaders of the employees'organizations, about one lakh employees, including outsourced employees who are demanding job security and pensioners, will also participate in the protest. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the state government to pay all the DA on Monday and has given the government 15 days time for this. The government will have to spend Rs 14,191 crore for this and it is a difficult task for the already debt-ridden government. The government can also go to the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court order. At present, the debt on the Punjab government is more than four lakh crores. However, the opposition and employees'organizations are constantly cornering the government on this issue and demanding that the government pay the DA to the high court orders and the opposition leader Pratap Singh Bajwa said that the government does not want to spend four months in office.