Punjab govt employees to receive salaries by evening: Finance minister Cheema

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema says the salaries were delayed because the government had recently regularised contractual employees

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema has assured state government employees that their salaries will be deposited by Wednesday evening.

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema also said that the state was facing no shortage of money, and that there was a continuous inflow of money to the treasury. (HT PHOTO)

Cheema also said that the state was facing no shortage of money, and that there was a continuous inflow of money to the treasury.

“Everyone will receive salaries in their accounts by today evening. Only the process got delayed, nothing else. There is no shortage of money in Punjab. There is continuous inflow of money in Punjab’s treasury,” state finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema told ANI.

On the reason for the salary delay, the minister said it was because the government had recently regularised contractual employees. “The Punjab government made 9,000 contractual employees permanent, due to which the process of paying salaries to state employees was delayed by three to four days. Everyone’s salaries have been released today,” he said, adding that around 18,000 people had been recently recruited by the state government.

The remarks come in the wake of Congress MLA and senior leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira slamming the CM Bhagwant Mann-led government while raising the issue of delayed salaries being provided to government employees.

Taking to Twitter, Khaira had said, “Those propagating Delhi model from rooftops have failed to pay salaries to employees of Punjab for the month of August! This is your pitiable financial plight after being six months in office.”