Punjab Govt staffers, pensioners to protest against AAP

Our Correspondent

Sangrur, June 28

Great resentment prevails among state government pensioners and employees against the AAP government’s alleged indifferent attitude towards their demands for over two years.

Revive old pension scheme

The demands include, revival of old pension scheme from January 1, 2004; cancellation of the notification issued for giving only basic pay to the employees during probation period of three years; release of arrears of pay revision from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2021; increase in the monthly medical allowance of the employees and pensioners from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000; release of three pending instalments of dearness allowance (DA); and implementation of cashless medical scheme by revising it.

To “teach a lesson” to the ruling party and expose the alleged anti-employee and anti-pensioner behaviour of the state government, a large number of pensioners and employees from all parts of the state will gather on July 6 in Jalandhar West Assembly constituency, where a by-election is going to be held on July 10. Under the banner of Punjab Mulazam and Pensioner Sanjha Front, they will hold a protest rally and take out a flag march on July 6 at Jalandhar.

Giving this information, Raj Kumar Arora, spokesperson, Punjab State Pensioners Confederation, said that Punjab Government had not been paying attention towards the long-standing demands of the pensioners and the employees for over two years due to which there was a great resentment among them. He alleged that the AAP government had backtracked from the promises made with employees and pensioners during previous Assembly elections.

The demands included revival of old pension scheme from January 1, 2004; cancellation of the notification issued for giving only basic pay to the employees during probation period of three years; release of arrears of pay revision from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2021; increase in the monthly medical allowance of the employees and pensioners from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000; release of three pending instalments of dearness allowance (DA); and implementation of cashless medical scheme by revising it.

Arora said that even the Cabinet Sub Committee, formed under Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, had deferred meetings after giving date and time to the union members. This showed that the state government is not serious towards the demands of the employees and pensioners, he added.

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