Punjab Government Services hit as 3 Lakh Employees Join One-day ‘Maha Hartal’

Chandigarh, August 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

Government services across Punjab were affected on Thursday as more than three lakh employees of departments, boards and corporations observed a one-day mass casual leave over pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears and other long-standing demands.

Nearly four lakh pensioners also joined the agitation and staged day-long sit-ins at government offices at district, tehsil and block levels. The “Maha Hartal” affected the functioning of government hospitals, dispensaries and educational institutions. Private establishments, markets, private and public bus services and emergency services were kept outside the shutdown.

Employee unions claimed that DA arrears amounting to Rs 20,161 crore remain outstanding. They said Rs 6,000 crore relates to the period since 2021, while another Rs 14,161 crore pertains to the period before 2021. Employees are currently receiving DA at 42 per cent of basic pay, while unions are demanding 58 per cent.

A day before the strike, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema held meetings with several employee unions and said the Bhagwant Mann government was sympathetic to their demands. He directed the Transport, Education, Animal Husbandry and Finance departments to examine legitimate demands and expedite action on them.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is scheduled to meet employee union representatives later on Thursday at the Punjab Armed Police complex in Jalandhar to seek an amicable resolution.

The agitation comes weeks after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the state government to release pending DA and dearness relief instalments within a fortnight. The court also restrained the government from undertaking large-scale advertising campaigns until the dues were cleared.

Cheema has said the government inherited Rs 14,191 crore in pay commission arrears and has already cleared more than Rs 6,000 crore under the court-approved liquidation plan. He has maintained that the government remains committed to paying all constitutionally and legally valid dues.