Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday said his government was prepared to listen to every legitimate demand of state employees but made it clear that negotiations could take place only after the ongoing strike was called off.
The Chief Minister’s statement came as more than three lakh employees of Punjab government departments, boards and corporations observed a mass casual leave as part of a statewide “Maha Hartal” over pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears and other long-standing demands.
In a post on X, Mann described government employees as an important part of the government’s family and said the state was committed to resolving their issues.
“Employees are an important part of our family and we are ready to listen to every legitimate demand of theirs. But talks and a strike cannot go on simultaneously,” Mann said.
“The government is committed to finding a solution to every issue, but talks will take place only when the strike is called off,” he added.
The statement assumes significance as Mann was scheduled to meet representatives of employee unions at the Punjab Armed Police complex in Jalandhar later on Thursday in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
Government services across Punjab were affected by the mass casual leave. Nearly four lakh pensioners also joined the agitation, with protests and sit-ins being organised at government offices at district, tehsil and block levels.
The strike affected government hospitals, dispensaries and educational institutions, while emergency services, private establishments, markets and private and public bus services were kept outside the shutdown.
Employee organisations claim that DA arrears totalling Rs 20,161 crore are pending. According to the unions, about Rs 6,000 crore pertains to the period since 2021, while Rs 14,161 crore relates to the period before 2021. Employees are presently receiving DA at 42 per cent of basic pay and are demanding that it be raised to 58 per cent.
Ahead of the strike, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema had held meetings with several employee organisations and said the government was sympathetic to their legitimate demands. He directed officials of the Transport, Education, Animal Husbandry and Finance departments to examine the demands and expedite action wherever possible.
The confrontation also comes against the backdrop of a Punjab and Haryana High Court direction asking the state government to release pending DA and dearness relief instalments. The court had also restrained the state from undertaking large-scale advertising campaigns until the dues were cleared.
Cheema has maintained that the government inherited substantial liabilities relating to pay commission arrears and has already cleared more than Rs 6,000 crore under a court-approved liquidation plan. He has said the government remains committed to clearing all constitutionally and legally valid dues.
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