Punjab BJP slams the Bhagwant Mann government for withholding DA arrears, likening it to Mamata Banerjee's 'failed strategy.' The party alleges funds are diverted for VIP luxuries and ads while promising to clear dues if elected in 2027.
Punjab BJP has asserted that the Bhagwant Mann Government in the State is currently insulting the intelligence of its workforce by copy-pasting former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's failed legal strategy by withholding the Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears while simultaneously splashing crores on VIP luxuries and nationwide political advertising.
The Punjab BJP claimed that just like the Banerjee government, which snatched West Bengal government employees' DA for a decade, the Mann government, also under the garb of "financial constraints" and a "deficit treasury", is conspiring to deny employees their legal rights to use the money for self-promotional advertisements and maintaining their VIP culture.
BJP Promises to Clear Dues, Slams AAP Excuses
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon assured the Punjab Government employees, saying if the Bharatiya Janata Party forms the government in the State, it will release the pending DA and ensure transparent, merit-based recruitment for youth. He further alleged that the Mann government had failed to fulfil its promises and was making excuses in the High Court. In an X post, Dhillon emphasised that Punjab's employees deserve their rightful dues, not endless delays. "Lakhs of Punjab government employees and pensioners are still waiting for their pending Dearness Allowance (DA), while @BJP4Haryana has already released 60% DA to its employees. @ArvindKejriwal and the AAP government made big promises before coming to power, but today they are making nothing but excuses in the High Court. Punjab's employees deserve their rightful dues, not endless delays. When the BJP forms the government in Punjab in 2027, we will release the pending DA of employees and ensure transparent, merit-based recruitment to provide jobs for the youth of Punjab," Kewal Singh Dhillon said.
'Calculated Conspiracy to Deny Rights'
The state BJP leadership dubbed the issue a calculated conspiracy to deny employees their legal rights and underlined that the AAP government is blatantly discriminating against the state government employees, while duly compensating the high-ranking officials such as IAS, IPS, IFS, and Judicial officers.
High Court Rules DA a 'Legally Enforceable Right'
The Punjab BJP leadership further claimed that this is for the first time in the history of Punjab governance that government employees have been denied their basic right of Dearness Allowance. Where the Mann government claims that separate "state statutory rules" allow them the freedom to decide when to pay, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has clearly stated earlier this year that "Dearness Allowance is a legally enforceable right, not a government bounty". In fact, in March 2026, Justice Harpreet Singh Brar ruled that the state cannot indefinitely defer payments despite accepting Pay Commission recommendations. The court ordered the release of arrears along with a 6% per annum interest penalty for the delay. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
