On the pending DA arrears, Cheema said the state had inherited a liability of Rs 14,191 crore from previous governments, including the Congress and SAD-BJP regimes.
“We did not create this liability. We inherited it. The government had submitted a liquidation plan which was accepted by the court and was being implemented,” he said, adding that more than Rs 4,500 crore had already been released to employees and pensioners against the inherited liability.
“No previous government ever committed to pay the DA arrears. We are the only government that committed to paying the past arrears. These payments were being made in monthly installments,” he said.
Cheema targets BJP over DA parity
Responding to the BJP’s allegations that Punjab was violating the principle of equality under Article 14 by not matching the centre’s DA rates, Cheema questioned why similar questions were not being raised about BJP-ruled states such as Haryana and Gujarat.
“If you say we are violating Article 14, what is happening in Haryana and Gujarat? Are you not violating this provision of law there?” he asked.
Cheema further claimed that Haryana employees received around 13 per cent less salary than their Punjab counterparts and challenged the BJP to demand salary parity for Haryana employees with those in Punjab.
He said he was scheduled to meet representatives of 10 employee unions on Thursday and reiterated that the government was willing to hold discussions.
On action against employees who remained absent on August 27, Cheema said the government was proceeding against “illegal absenteeism” in accordance with the law.
He also said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had made it clear that employees could not simultaneously be on strike and hold talks with the government.