Punjab’s government employees are preparing to escalate their agitation over long-pending dearness allowance (DA) dues after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann called off a scheduled meeting with union leaders in Jalandhar, triggering angry protests at the Punjab Secretariat and a chaotic standoff in the city.
Maha Hartal and Union Demands
The “Maha Hartal” had already drawn over three lakh employees from departments, boards and corporations onto mass casual leave, disrupting government schools, colleges, hospitals and offices across the state. The unions’ main demands include the immediate release of a pending 18% dearness allowance and 6th Pay Commission arrears, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, and regularisation of thousands of contract workers.
Cancelled Talks in Jalandhar
A 16-member committee of protesting unions was due to meet Mann at the Punjab Armed Police complex in Jalandhar, but the CM withdrew from the talks, further inflaming tensions. At the Deputy Commissioner’s office, employees raised anti-government slogans and tried to march onto the streets, prompting police to seal the gates and bring in anti-riot vehicles. One union leader warned that employees were prepared to begin an indefinite strike if the government did not return to the table and address their grievances.
Chief Minister’s Response
Mann responded on social media, saying the protesting employees were part of the government’s family but insisting that “talks and protest cannot go together.” He added that discussions would resume only after employees called off their protest.
High Court Order and Financial Position
The standoff comes days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the state government to clear pending DA arrears within 15 days and barred large-scale advertising expenditure until the dues were settled. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has said the state inherited a ₹14,191-crore liability in pay commission arrears, stemming from DA installments frozen between 2016 and 2021, and that more than ₹6,000 crore has already been cleared under a court-approved plan.
Political Stakes Ahead of Assembly Elections
With no fresh date announced for talks, the employee unions appear headed toward a prolonged confrontation with the AAP government. With assembly elections in the state scheduled for next year, sustained anger among a significant section of the population over the government’s inability to pay DA dues could weigh heavily on the Aam Aadmi Party at the polls.