Chandigarh, Nov 5 (PTI) Government employees and pensioners in Punjab on Thursday announced that they will hold a series of protests against the AAP government to press for acceptance of their demands, including the release of dearness allowance arrears.
Under the banner of the Sanjha Mulazam Manch, the employees and pensioners are demanding release of pending DA, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme, restoration of old pay scales and regularisation of contractual and outsourced employees.
The call for protests came a day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a three per cent hike in dearness allowance for state government employees and pensioners.
With the 3 per cent hike, the total DA rate reached 53 per cent.
Speaking to the media here, Sanjha Mulazam Manch leaders Sukchain Khera and Gurnam Singh Virk slammed the Punjab government for its "misleading" claims against state employees.
Rebutting the claims of the Punjab government that they are drawing higher salaries than employees of other states, the Sanjha Mulazam Manch leaders said employees recruited after July 17, 2020 are being given lower pay scales on the central pattern, while they are not being given the higher allowances applicable at the Central level.
Similarly, under the notification issued on January 15, 2015, employees are paid only basic pay during the three-year probation period, which is much lower in comparison with other states, they said.
They also provided comparative details by showing the lower salaries of employees in Punjab.
They also claimed that employees of the Punjab government are being deprived of pension benefits, whereas the pensions of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Punjab have been increased by more than five times.
They further stated that the government has still not presented the second report of the Pay Commission.
"As a result, employees are also being denied the benefits of the ACP scheme," they said.
Office bearers of the associations of retired Punjab government employees stated that despite their advanced age, their pensions have neither been enhanced by applying the 2.59 multiplication factor in accordance with the Pay Commission report nor are they being paid DA on par with the central government.
Announcing their protests against the AAP government, they said they will begin staging a protest in Sangrur from November 13 till 19.
Thereafter, they will burn effigies of AAP MLAs from December 1 to 5. Thereafter, the ashes of the effigies will be placed in urns and immersed in the Budha Nullah at Ludhiana on December 6, they said.
A human chain will be formed from Attari to Shambhu on December 13, they said.
On this occasion, Morcha leaders including Gurnam Singh Virk, Satish Rana, Sukhchain Khera, and Sahil Sharma were present.
Meanwhile, Khera, who has been the face of employees' protests and agitations, is learnt to have resigned from government service. He was posted as a Superintendent in the Civil Secretariat. His resignation is yet to be accepted by the government. There is speculation that he may join politics.
