DA arrears: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to meet protesting employee unions on Friday

The meeting will take place at the chief minister’s Chandigarh residence at 11 am. At least 12 office-bearers from different unions have been invited

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann will meet leaders of the protesting employee unions on Friday as an attempt to resolve the stand-off over payment of dearness allowance (DA) arrears and other demands, which began in August.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann will meet leaders of the protesting employee unions on Friday as an attempt to resolve the stand-off over payment of dearness allowance (DA) arrears and other demands, which began in August.

The meeting will take place at the chief minister’s Chandigarh residence at 11 am. At least 12 office-bearers from different unions have been invited.

This is for the second time in over three weeks that a meeting of the chief minister has been scheduled. The August 27 meeting in Jalandhar was cancelled when Mann asked the unions to withdraw their strike and return to work before holding talks. The union leaders refused to accept the condition, leading to a stand-off.

Employees of the state government departments and directorates, posted in the two civil secretariats in Chandigarh and working in deputy commissioners and tehsil offices, along with pensioners, are demanding release of pending DA arrears and resolution of other salary and perks-related discrepancies. More than 7 lakh employees and pensioners are seeking the arrears and resolution of the discrepancies.

The union leaders have earlier held several rounds of meetings with the chief secretary KAP Sinha, who had assured them a face-to-face meeting with the CM. According to the union leaders, they have received a formal communication from the chief minister’s office regarding Friday’s meeting. “We will make all efforts to resolve the long-pending issues of the employees,” said a general secretary of an employees’ body.

There are 153 different employee unions and associations seeking release of pending DA under the umbrella of Sanjha Mulazim Manch (Joint Employees Forum). The body had announced a protest plan through October, including gherao of the ministers’ residences. It has also announced a mock vidhan sabha session on September 30.

The DA arrears involve a burden of ₹20,191 crore on the state exchequer. On August 3, the Punjab and Haryana high court had ordered the government to pay the employees within 15 days, setting an August 18 deadline. The state government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the order.