Chandigarh, August 4: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has called on government employees to support the party. On Monday, the party welcomed the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order directing the Punjab government to pay ₹14,191 crore in pending dearness allowance (DA) within 15 days.
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia informed the media that the court revealed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s antagonistic attitude towards employees. He stated that the government has made every effort to deny employees their DA benefits under various pretexts.
A three-member committee, comprising senior leaders Harpal Cheema, Aman Arora, and Baljeet Kaur, was formed by the government. This committee recommended that there is no need to grant additional DA benefits to state employees, claiming their benefits are already equal to or better than those at the central level.
Majithia pointed out that the committee also cited the state’s economic crisis, asserting that the government is not obligated to follow the central government’s DA amendments. He emphasized that these facts are recorded in court, indicating a discrepancy between the government’s public statements and its court submissions.
He criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, labeling him a ‘Guru Dirohi,’ for claiming that the state’s economy is performing well while contradicting this in court. Furthermore, the AAP government’s claims about development have been undermined by its own court statements, which reveal that most of the state’s funds are spent on salaries, pensions, loan repayments, and subsidies.
Majithia noted that the state government shows no intention of complying with the court’s directive to pay the pending DA within the stipulated 15 days. He mentioned that the government sought permission from the court on Monday to make payments in installments.
He further criticized the government for spending nearly ₹8,000 crore on advertisements and public events while allowing ministers like Harjot Bains to claim government travel allowances for foreign trips without political approval. Additionally, millions are being spent on chartered flights for AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal across the country, funds that could have been utilized for the welfare of government employees.
–
Leave a Comment