JALANDHAR: Congress MLA and former Punjab minister Pargat Singh has stepped up pressure on the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government over the long-pending demands of government employees and pensioners, calling for the immediate payment of outstanding Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears and full implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhawan, Jalandhar, Pargat Singh joined Congress leaders including Rajinder Beri, Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia, Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, Avtar Singh Junior, Rajinder Singh, Navjot Singh Dahiya, Angad Dutta, Monty Sehgal, Ishan Tyagi and Gurmeet Singh Moti to raise the issue.
Pargat Singh said the government could no longer continue to ignore employees and pensioners who have been waiting for their legitimate financial benefits. He demanded that all pending DA arrears be paid in full and the OPS be implemented without further delay.
The Congress leaders argued that DA is not a discretionary benefit but part of employees’ service-related entitlements. The demand comes amid continuing disputes over unpaid DA and the government’s handling of pension-related commitments. Recent reporting from Jalandhar also highlighted Congress’s demand for a definite timeline from the government on both issues.
The OPS issue has remained politically sensitive in Punjab. The AAP government had announced the restoration of the scheme in 2022, but Congress leaders contend that the promised mechanism has not been fully operationalised. Pargat Singh and other opposition leaders have repeatedly raised the matter in the Punjab Assembly as well.
The Congress leaders questioned why employees should continue to wait for money that they say has already accrued to them and why pensioners should remain uncertain about their retirement security.
Pargat Singh’s latest intervention puts the DA arrears and OPS issue back at the centre of the political debate in Punjab, with Congress demanding that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government move beyond assurances and announce a clear, time-bound plan for implementation.
The message from the Congress camp was direct: employees and pensioners should not have to repeatedly protest for benefits they have already earned.