- BJP Punjab chief promises to clear DA dues and pension arrears of eight lakh employees
- He accused AAP's Mann government of anti-employee policies and financial mismanagement
- Punjab and Haryana HC ordered AAP to pay arrears within 15 days and barred ads
In a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, BJP state chief Kewal Singh Dhillon on Tuesday promised to immediately clear pending Dearness Allowance (DA) dues and pension arrears of nearly eight lakh state government employees and pensioners if the party comes to power.
Speaking to NDTV, Dhillon said the party would follow the same resolute approach it adopted in West Bengal.
He accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of running a 'Mulazam Virodhi' (anti-employee) government and claimed that the Punjab and Haryana High Court's recent order has thoroughly exposed AAP's financial mismanagement and hollow governance model.
"The BJP in Punjab makes a rock solid commitment to all 8 lakh state employees and pensioners. Vote for a responsible BJP government in Punjab, and we guarantee that all state government employees will receive their DA and arrears on time, updated seamlessly at par with Central Government rates," Dhillon said.
The remarks come against the backdrop of the Punjab and Haryana High Court order, directing the AAP government to release all pending DA and pension arrears within 15 days and barred the state from conducting any large-scale advertisement campaigns until these statutory dues are fully paid.
The court rejected the government's plea of financial constraints, holding that public funds cannot be diverted toward self-promotional publicity and unviable election freebies while legitimate dues of employees remain unpaid.
The Division Bench also dismissed the state government's review petitions.
Drawing a parallel with West Bengal, where the BJP had aggressively championed the cause of state employees against administrative apathy, Dhillon said the party would replicate that approach in Punjab.
He appealed to government employees and pensioners to wait for another six to seven months, assuring them that a BJP government would ensure timely salaries and DA revisions matching the rates followed in all BJP-ruled states and by the Centre.
Dhillon reiterated that once the BJP forms the government in Punjab, clearing the pending dues would be among its first priorities to end the hardship faced by employees and pensioners.
