Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced an 8 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees and pensioners following a meeting with representatives of employee and pensioner organisations.
Mann said the increased DA would be reflected in the salary payable in October. The announcement was made after what the Chief Minister described as a positive meeting with representatives of employees and pensioners.
The meeting also covered several long-pending demands, including implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), salaries during the probation period and issues concerning ASHA workers and Mid-Day Meal workers.
According to Mann, the government will hold another meeting with employee representatives in the first week of October to discuss these matters and work towards permanent solutions.
The Chief Minister said the government would address employee-related concerns through dialogue and consultation. He maintained that employees were an integral part of the government’s functioning and assured them of continued engagement on their pending demands.
Mann also said the government and its employees would continue to work together for the development of Punjab and reiterated the state government’s vision of building a “Rangla Punjab”.
