Punjab: Govt employees, pensioners hold massive protest in support of their demands
Scores of Government employees and pensioners on Friday held a massive protest at Sector 39, warning the AAP Government of a Statewide strike on August 27 if their long-pending demands, including release of pending dearness allowance, are not met.
Police had erected barricades to prevent protesters from moving towards the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
Chandigarh Police used a water cannon to disperse protesting employees after they tried to head towards the Punjab Assembly.
The protest was held under the banner of Sanjha Mulazam and Pensioners Front and Sanjha Mulazam Manch Punjab, with over several employees’ organisations taking part from several parts of the state.
The protesting employees have been demanding release of pending 18 per cent DA, implementation of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and regularization of contractual employees.
Protesting employees said despite repeated assurance, the state Government failed to address their demands.
They announced that employees across Punjab would proceed on mass leave and observe a complete strike on August 27, leading to the closure of Government offices from tehsil complexes to the Punjab Civil Secretariat, if the Government fails to address their demands.
Addressing a gathering, union leader Sukhchain Singh Khehra said employees and pensioners would support only that political party in coming state assembly elections which presents a blueprint for resolving their long-pending demands.
Union leaders alleged that the Government had failed to release 18 per cent dearness allowance (DA) instalments and arrears despite directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
They also demanded restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, regularisation of contractual and outsourced employees, implementation of minimum wages for workers, including mid-day meal, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, restoration of the ACP scheme, and extension of Punjab pay scales to employees recruited after July 17, 2020.
They criticised the state government, saying the Finance Minister was “distorting facts” on the issue of pay scales instead of addressing the entire charter of demands.
The union leaders said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann gave a time for meeting the representatives of the employees’ bodies on August 27.
Opposition parties slammed the AAP Government for not accepting their demands.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said it was these employees who voted for the AAP in Punjab.
“Today in 2026, the same employees are taking to the streets and saying ‘We don’t want this government’. What could be a bigger report card for the AAP Government than this,” Warring asked.
Warring accused the Mann Government of suppressing the voice of those who raise the same for their rights.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal too criticised the state Government for allegedly failing to accept demands of the employees.
“Those who ushered @AAPPunjab in with flowers, will now ensure its rout! Punjab’s employees and pensioners have sent a clear and loud message to @BhagwantMann (that) you cannot ignore and do injustice with the people who actually run this state,” Badal said in a post on X.
