The Punjab government has transferred Sukhchain Singh Khera, a key member of the state employees' protest, from the Punjab Civil Secretariat's administrative branch to the planning branch in Sector 33 in Chandigarh on 31 August. Khera is a prominent leader of the Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch, which spearheaded the state-wide, one-day mass leave protest on 27 August that affected public services. Sahil Sharma, leader of the Punjab Civil Secretariat Employees Union, has condemned Khera's transfer and criticised the state government for allegedly trying to 'suppress the voice of employees'. The transfer comes after more than 3 lakh state employees participated in the mass strike demanding payment of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and other employee benefits.
The Manch has announced an 'Return of Power' (Satta Wapsi) campaign to pressure the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government, with a detailed escalation timeline. On 8 September, employees will call another similar state-wide mass leave strike if notices issued to them are not withdrawn. District-level meetings will be held on 6 September, followed by 'surrounding' with human chains various state ministers on 12-13 September, and 'surrounding' other MLAs and ministers on 19-20 September. The campaign culminates with an 'employee Vidhan Sabha' session in Chandigarh on 30 September, where chairs will be set up for MPs and MLAs and questions will be put to them. If demands remain unmet, a mega rally will be organised in Sangrur on 10 October, followed by a two-day mass casual leave protest between 21-22 October.
Over 3 lakh state government employees participated in a mass strike on 27 August to demand payment of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and other employee benefits. The strike affected government hospitals, dispensaries and educational institutions, with nearly four lakh pensioners joining employees in staging day-long demonstrations outside government offices at district, tehsil and block levels. According to employee unions, DA arrears amounting to ₹20,161 crore remained unpaid, with ₹6,000 crore accumulated since 2021 and another ₹14,161 crore related to the preceding period. The employees are currently receiving DA equivalent to 42 per cent of their basic pay but maintain that the applicable rate should be 58 per cent.
The state government has initiated disciplinary proceedings against nearly 2,500 employees for unauthorised absence during the August 27 statewide strike that disrupted public services across the state. On 29 August, the government directed heads of departments and administrative secretaries to issue show cause notices to employees for their 'unauthorised' absence and asked that disciplinary action be taken as per the rules. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema had held several meetings with employee associations in Chandigarh before the strike, assuring union representatives that the state government was sympathetic to their concerns. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on 3 August directed the state government to clear the outstanding DA arrears within 15 days and restrained the government from undertaking large-scale advertising campaigns until the employees' dues were paid.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia has accused the Mann government of 'persecuting' state employees and called the leader a 'dictator', alleging that the Punjab government was 'suppressing and harassing' its employees through 'oppressive policies' and denying them the 'constitutional right' to raise their voice and protest. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has expressed support for protesting employees, calling their demands 'fully justified' as they were seeking their rightful dues rather than any special favour. Warring questioned the government's inability to provide around ₹14,000 crore for employee-related dues and criticised the state for paying ₹341 crore to consultants in connection with raising a ₹25,000-crore loan. The Punjab government may move the Supreme Court against the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order in the DA case, with the petition likely coming this week, citing sources.
The strike was organized by over 150 employees' bodies unified under the 'Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch' banner, with support from more than 3.50 lakh pensioners. The primary demands include payment of pending 18% DA, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), regularisation of contractual employees, implementation of minimum wages for workers including mid-day meal, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, restoration of the ACP scheme, and extension of Punjab pay scales to employees recruited after 17 July 2020. Employee representatives have claimed that despite repeated assurances and an order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing DA arrears release, the state government has failed to address their long-pending demands. This represents one of the biggest mobilisations yet against the ruling government and is generating concern as state assembly polls are due early next year.
