Chandigarh, Nov 5: Employee and pensioner organizations across Punjab have expressed dissatisfaction with the three percent Dearness Allowance enhancement announced by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, announcing a series of state-wide protests starting November 13. The Joint Coordination Committee of Employee and Pensioner Unions affirmed that the planned demonstrations will continue until key operational demands are addressed.
The collective protest program is scheduled to begin with a continuous dharna in Sangrur from November 13 to 19, shifting the primary demonstration venue from Chandigarh. Following this, union members plan to organize constituency-level demonstrations outside the official residences of elected representatives from December 1 to 5, followed by symbolic public events on December 6. The sequence of actions is set to conclude with a human chain initiative along the highway route from Shambhu to Amritsar on December 13.
The protest plans follow the state administration’s announcement of a three percent DA adjustment, bringing the total allowance to 53 percent. Official estimates indicate the overall financial commitment for the recent adjustments amounts to an annual outlay of approximately ₹3,988 crore. However, union representatives maintained that the adjustment does not fulfill primary expectations regarding the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme, release of remaining allowance balances, clearance of arrears, and implementation of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.
