Chandigarh, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
In a major festive-season decision, the Punjab Government has announced an 8 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for its employees and pensioners, taking the DA to 50 per cent, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said on Friday.
The decision was announced after Mann met representatives of employee and pensioner organisations and discussed their long-pending demands. The government said the increase would benefit around eight lakh employees and pensioners.
Mann said the DA increase would be released in two instalments of 4 per cent each. The detailed source material contains conflicting references to whether the benefit will be reflected in the September or October salary; in his statement on X and in the detailed account of the decision, the benefit is stated to take effect with the October salary, from October 1.
Describing government employees as the backbone of the state’s administrative machinery, Mann said their welfare, dignity and legitimate concerns were important to the government. He said a satisfied workforce would be better placed to deliver public services and implement welfare schemes.
The Chief Minister announced that meetings with employee representatives would be held compulsorily every month to provide a regular platform for resolving genuine grievances. He said the government would examine long-pending demands, including restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), the 2.59 pension multiplication factor, restoration of various allowances, implementation of Assured Career Progression (ACP), and issues related to the 2015 and 2020 communications concerning the probation period and generalisation of court decisions.
Mann said discussions would also cover issues concerning ASHA and Mid-Day Meal workers. He said another meeting would be held in the first week of October to work towards resolving longstanding matters.
The Chief Minister also announced that women government employees would be given postings within a radius of 40 kilometres of their homes, saying the measure was intended to help them balance professional responsibilities and family commitments.
On employment, Mann said around 70,000 government jobs had been provided through what he described as a transparent and corruption-free recruitment process based on merit. He said the government aimed to ensure that young people could secure public-sector employment on the basis of merit and hard work rather than recommendations, influence or financial considerations.
Mann said the government would examine employees’ demands sympathetically while keeping in view applicable rules, financial implications and the legal position. He stressed that employee welfare could not be treated as a one-time exercise and required continuous dialogue between the government and its workforce.
The Chief Minister also said the government had to balance employee welfare with the financial health of Punjab and asserted that public funds were being used with financial discipline and for public welfare.
Calling for continued dedication to public service, Mann said government employees were the link through which state services and welfare measures reached citizens. He added that the government wanted its relationship with employees to be based on trust, dialogue, mutual respect and responsibility.
Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora and Dr Baljeet Kaur, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, Secretary General Administration KK Yadav and other officials were present during the meeting.
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