Punjab is bracing for widespread disruption in government services on Thursday as employees prepare for a statewide “maha bandh” over pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears and other demands, even as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is scheduled to hold talks with union representatives in an effort to break the impasse.
Nearly four lakh employees of state government departments, boards and corporations are expected to take mass casual leave on August 27. Around 3.5 lakh pensioners are also expected to participate, with demonstrations planned outside deputy commissioner offices across Punjab.
The agitation is expected to affect routine work at government offices, revenue departments, sewa kendras, schools and colleges, hospital OPDs and several other public services. Essential services, however, are expected to continue, while unions have said they do not intend to block roads or force markets and private establishments to close.
DA arrears at heart of dispute
The confrontation centres primarily on unpaid DA instalments. Employee organisations estimate that around Rs 15,000 crore is due to serving and retired government personnel.
The unions are also demanding implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), regularisation of contractual employees, implementation of pay commission benefits and reconsideration of the pay structure for newly recruited employees. They have additionally sought changes to the three-year probation period imposed on new recruits.
The dispute intensified after the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 3 directed the state government to clear pending DA dues of employees and pensioners within a fortnight. The court had also stipulated that unpaid amounts would attract interest at six per cent annually in the event of default.
The state subsequently sought more time from the high court to submit its compliance report. During a hearing last week, the government maintained that it had until August 31 to comply with the directions and file its report.
Mann to meet union leaders
Against this backdrop, Mann is scheduled to meet representatives of employee organisations in Chandigarh on Thursday, coinciding with the statewide protest.
Union leaders have indicated that the agitation will proceed despite the invitation for talks. Any decision on the future course of the movement is expected to depend on what emerges from the meeting.
Sukhchain Singh Khaira, a leader of the employees’ movement, has said the unions will seek a clear response from the Chief Minister on their demands and could intensify their agitation if the meeting fails to produce concrete assurances.
Employees have already held several demonstrations over the issue. Earlier this month, thousands of employees and pensioners gathered in Chandigarh demanding the release of pending DA arrears, restoration of OPS and regularisation of contractual staff.
Tensions also surfaced in Sangrur on Sunday when police used water cannons against protesters attempting to march towards Mann’s native village of Satauj. The protesters were primarily demanding restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, along with settlement of pending DA and other service-related demands.
Government offices likely to be hit
Thursday’s action is expected to have its greatest impact on routine government services. Clerical and other staff attached to deputy commissioner offices, tehsils, SDM offices, municipal bodies, irrigation and sanitation departments, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited and other agencies are expected to participate.
Government schools and colleges could also see thin attendance among teaching and administrative staff. Hospital OPDs may be affected, though emergency medical services are expected to function.
Union representatives have stressed that the protest is directed at the state government rather than the general public. Markets, factories and private institutions are expected to function normally, and organisers have said they will not obstruct public movement.
The scale of Thursday’s mobilisation could make the meeting between Mann and union leaders crucial. If the government and employees fail to narrow their differences over DA arrears and other long-standing demands, unions have warned that the agitation could be escalated further.