8 September 2026 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : Thousands of Punjab government ministerial employees are set to stage protests across the state on Tuesday over pending dearness allowance (DA) dues, escalating their confrontation with the state government.
The protest is being organised by the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union, with ministerial staff expected to sit outside government offices and demonstrate against the non-payment of DA arrears.
Employees Demand Release of DA Arrears
The employees are demanding the release of their pending DA instalments and arrears, which have remained a major point of contention between government staff unions and the Punjab government.
The agitation follows a wider series of protests by state employees over DA, pay-related arrears, pension issues and other service-related demands.
Government Calls Protest ‘Illegal’
Punjab Industries Minister and AAP state chief Aman Arora has termed the planned strike “illegal”.
Arora said the DA matter was sub judice and warned that the government would take action according to law if public services were affected. He also appealed to employees not to become “political tools”.
The minister said the government had already addressed around 60% of the DA demand for 85,000 employees and was willing to work towards salary parity with the Centre for others.
Employees Reject Government’s Stand
Employee leaders have maintained that they will go ahead with the protest despite the government’s position.
Sukhchain Khera, convener of the Joint Action Committee of unions, said the employees were exercising their democratic right to protest and would not be deterred by administrative action against union representatives.
Show-Cause Notices Also a Point of Anger
The ministerial staff’s protest is also linked to the government’s decision to ask heads of departments to issue show-cause notices to employees who participated in the August 27 mass casual-leave protest.
The state government had declared that earlier absence as unauthorised leave, adding another point of dispute between employee unions and the administration.
Government Services to Continue
The protest is expected to affect clerical and administrative work across government offices.
However, state buses, government hospitals, healthcare institutions and schools are expected to continue functioning because teachers, doctors and paramedical staff are not participating in the ministerial staff protest.
High Court Order Behind DA Dispute
The DA issue has also been the subject of prolonged litigation.
In August, the Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld directions requiring the Punjab government and PSPCL to release pending DA/DR instalments to employees and pensioners at rates corresponding to the Central Government pattern. The court gave the state a fortnight to comply and directed that unpaid amounts would attract 6% annual interest after the deadline.
Earlier Statewide Agitation
The latest ministerial staff protest follows the much larger Maha Hartal held by Punjab government employees and pensioners on August 27 over DA arrears, the Old Pension Scheme and other demands.
That agitation involved employees from several departments and was expected to affect government offices, educational institutions and parts of the healthcare system.
Punjab Government Under Pressure
The dispute places the Punjab government in a difficult position as employee unions continue to press for payment of long-pending dues while the administration faces financial constraints.
Aman Arora said Punjab spends around 51% of its revenue on salaries and pensions, arguing that the government must balance employee demands with the need to maintain public services.
Protest May Escalate Further
The ministerial staff unions have indicated that the current protest is part of their continuing agitation and that further action could follow if their demands are not addressed.
The immediate focus remains on the release of DA dues and the government’s compliance with court directions.