Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
Punjab government employees have decided to intensify their agitation over the next two months to press the government to accept their long pending demands. The joint coordination committee (JCC) of employees and pensioners has given a call to gherao residences of seven ministers on 11 and 12 September. This will be followed by a state-wide maha-rally on 10 October at Sangrur.
The JCC has given a call for two-day mass leave by employees on 21 and 22 October. Earlier, more than 3 lakh government employees had struck work by going on mass leave for a day on 27 August 2026. (Please see for details)
Over 150 organizations of employees of the state government have come together under the banner of Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch to lead the agitation.
One of the key issues agitating the workers is the dual salary structure introduced by the previous Congress Party led state government. On 17 July 2020, the state government had issued a notification that introduced two salary structures for government employees – one for those recruited before the notification date and another for recruited after. Employees are demanding a uniform salary structure and saying that they do not want a division to be created among them.
Employees are demanding the release of 18% pending DA. Shri Sukhchain Singh Khehra, convenor of the Mulazam Manch told, “The Centre pays 60% DA. We have received only 42% DA. Our demand is to release 18% DA. Punjab and Harayana High Court has given order in favour of employees. However, the state government has decided to challenge the decision in Supreme Court and using that as a pretext to delay release of the balance DA.
The implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) is another major demand. The state government had notified restoration of the on 18 November 2022 OPS but has taken no steps to implement it.