Now Reading: Punjab employees protest as OPS, DA promises haunt AAP
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Punjab employees protest as OPS, DA promises haunt AAP
Hundreds of Punjab government employees and pensioners protested in Chandigarh on Friday over the AAP government's failure to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), release 18% pending dearness allowance (DA), and regularise…
The Story in Brief
Hundreds of Punjab government employees and pensioners protested in Chandigarh on Friday over the AAP government's failure to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), release 18% pending dearness allowance (DA), and regularise contractual staff. Police used water cannons to stop the marchers from reaching the Punjab Assembly during its monsoon session. The protest, organised by the Punjab Mulazam and Pensioners Front and Sanjha Mulazam Manch, caused traffic chaos, blocking roads from Max Hospital to Zirakpur Chowk and other routes.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 3 ordered the state to clear all DA arrears, estimated at ₹14,000 crore, within a fortnight, barring unproductive spending like ad campaigns until dues are paid. The court also warned of 6% annual interest on default. A government spokesperson said a meeting between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and protesting employees is scheduled for August 27. Opposition parties, including Congress, Akali Dal, and BJP, criticised the AAP government for breaking promises and alleged misuse of public funds.
The Indian Opinion
The Punjab government is caught between a high court order to clear ₹14,000 crore in DA arrears and its own 2022 election promise of restoring the Old Pension Scheme. The narrative that AAP is 'anti-employee' only tells half the story: every state faces a massive fiscal strain from returning to OPS, and the party's silence on the cost is a failure of transparency. The August 27 meeting between CM Mann and union leaders is the test. If it produces a concrete timeline and a fiscal plan, rhetoric will quieten. If not, the label will stick.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
