Former MP Preneet Kaur and BJP Punjab Mahila Morcha President Jai Inder Kaur today extended their support to the ongoing protest by Punjab government employees and pensioners and urged the state government to resolve their pending demands without further delay.
Preneet Kaur said the High Court had directed the Punjab Government to release the pending 18% Dearness Allowance (DA) to employees and pensioners within 15 days, but the government had yet to issue a notification in this regard.
"Despite the High Court's directions, the government has not released the pending DA. The government should respect the court's order and give employees and pensioners what is rightfully due to them," she said. She added that Punjab government employees are currently receiving 42% DA, while Central Government employees are receiving 60%.
Jai Inder Kaur said the Bhagwant Mann government had promised to implement the Old Pension Scheme before coming to power, but employees were still waiting for its proper implementation. "The government must fulfil the promises it made to employees.
The Old Pension Scheme should be implemented and the long-pending issues of employees should be resolved," she said. She also demanded that pensioners be given benefits under the Sixth Pay Commission with the 2.59 multiplication factor and that all pending dues be released at the earliest.
Raising the issue of contractual employees, Jai Inder Kaur said lakhs of employees in Punjab continue to work under the contractual system and are waiting for regularisation. She demanded that the government formulate a clear policy to regularise them.
Preneet Kaur also criticised the state government over Punjab's rising debt, saying the AAP government had failed to develop a proper revenue policy to increase the state's income. "Instead of strengthening Punjab's revenue sources, public money is being spent on political publicity.
The government must give priority to the dues and legitimate demands of employees and pensioners," she said. Preneet Kaur and Jai Inder Kaur said they would continue to stand with Punjab's employees and pensioners and raise their issues at every appropriate forum.
"The demands of employees and pensioners are genuine. We stand firmly with them in their struggle for their rights," they said.