Acceding to the demand of state employees and pensioners, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday has decided to enhance 11% Dearness Allowance (DA) from the existing 17% to 28% w.e.f July 1, 2021.
Later talking to the media persons immediately after the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said the employees are the backbone of the state administration and reiterated his government's firm commitment to accord the highest priority to their welfare. He said with this decision, the state government would have to bear an additional monthly burden of Rs.440 crore on account of enhanced DA. CM Channi said that the state government has resolved most of the employees' issues to their satisfaction and resultantly they have called off their strike and resumed the work with immediate effect. He also announced that the employees’ who were recruited after January 1, 2016 would also be given the benefit of a minimum 15% increase in the revised pay at par with other employees. However, the pay of junior employees would not be fixed higher than that of his senior while fixing the revised pay.
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Pointing out further, CM Channi said that the representatives of various employees associations has assured him that they would not follow the path of agitation rather get their issues/demands resolved through mutual discussions across the table.
The government also approved conversion of ordinances into acts for setting up Lamrin Tech Skills University at SBS Nagar and Plaksha University at SAS Nagar.
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Decks have been cleared for the establishment of Lamrin Tech Skills University Punjab at Railmajra, Balachaur, SBS Nagar and Plaksha University Punjab at IT City, SAS Nagar with Punjab Cabinet’s approval for conversion of Ordinances into Bills.
According to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office, the Cabinet also gave approval to place these Bills in the forthcoming session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha for conversion into Acts.