Punjab Government faces heat over move on pay scales

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 18

A day after the Punjab Government decided to have new pay scales for all fresh appointments in its departments and other undertakings on the pattern of the Central Government, Opposition parties and various employees’ organisations today opposed the move.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said the Congress government had miserably failed to safeguard the interests of employees of the state.

In a statement, SAD spokesman NK Sharma said the state government employees got higher pay scales than their counterparts in the Central departments, but the Congress wanted to deny this benefit to the newly recruited in the name of saving some pennies.

He said the SAD would oppose the anti-employee decision, which would harm the interests of the newly recruited employees. He said the government should first curtail expenditure on ministers and MLAs.

Meanwhile, in a press release, the Punjab Government Pensioners’ Welfare Association said though the government had given extension to the pay commission up to December 2020, the latter had not given any timeframe for giving its recommendations.

The inordinate delay in the implementation of the new pay scales, increase in allowance and pension revision, coupled with the delay in the payment of DA arrears had led to resentment among employees and pensioners, it said.

SK Khosla, president of the association, said though the decision was meant for fresh appointments, the government’s intention would be made applicable to all employees and pensioners. “This is contrary to the promises made by the Congress during the 2017 Assembly elections,” he said.

Rollback decision, demands AAP

• The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Punjab, criticised the “anti-employee” decision of introducing Central pay scales for new government employees by the state government.
• AAP MLA Aman Arora demanded immediate withdrawal of the order, saying the government’s ‘ghar ghar naukri’ promise stood exposed.