The Joint Coordination Committee (JAC) of Punjab Government Employees and Pensioners has escalated demands for immediate implementation of long-pending pension and dearness allowance benefits. According to latest reports, employees and pensioners held a demonstration outside cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Mundian's residence in Ludhiana and submitted a warning memorandum demanding quick resolution. The protest was organized under the banner of the JAC as part of a statewide campaign ahead of the proposed rally in Mohali on July 17. Hundreds of employees and pensioners representing various government departments assembled outside the minister's residence, accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to fulfill promises made to employees despite repeated assurances and meetings with ministers and government representatives.
The JAC has presented a comprehensive list of demands spanning multiple categories of employee benefits. As reported by Hindustan Times, these include approval for 18% DA hike, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), implementation of the 4-9-14 Assured Career Progression (ACP) Scheme, and withdrawal of notifications related to probation and pay rules. Additional demands encompass regularisation of contractual, outsourced and temporary employees, revision of pensions in line with the 6th Punjab state pay commission recommendations, restoration of withdrawn allowances, enhancement of retirement gratuity, and extension of minimum wages to women working on honorarium under various government schemes. Addressing the gathering, employee leaders said several long-pending demands affecting serving employees and pensioners remain unresolved, with the organisations demanding implementation of the commission's remaining recommendations.
The Punjab government announced on 30 May that it will consider payment of pending dearness allowance and dearness relief dues for state government employees and pensioners for the period between 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2024. According to PTI reports, a sub-committee will discuss payment of arrears for employees and pensioners based on revised salary and pension benefits for the period between 1 January 2016 to 30 June 2021. The Punjab Cabinet has granted ex-post facto approval for reconstitution of a Cabinet sub-committee comprising Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora and Baljit Kaur to examine issues related to pending arrears.
The government has approved the process to dismantle a decades-old contractual employment system and regularisation framework for over 65,000 workers across 51 government departments. As reported by PTI, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that 65,048 outsourced workers fall within the reform ambit, with more than 26,000 workers among the first beneficiaries. Workers performing duties involving risks to life and health will receive faster consideration under the new policy framework.
During the protest, employee leaders handed over a warning memorandum to the minister, urging the government to immediately begin dialogue and resolve the pending issues. They cautioned that continued delay would leave employees with no option but to intensify their agitation. "The government has repeatedly sought time but has failed to implement the commitments made to employees and pensioners. Today's protest is a clear warning. If our demands are not resolved, employees and pensioners across Punjab will participate in the July 17 rally at Mohali, and the agitation will be intensified further," the joint coordination committee leaders stated. The committee has called for a rally on July 17 in Mohali to further press their demands, warning that continued delays would intensify protests across the state.
