Delaying release of DA to pensioners to cost AAP dear: Assn

Amritsar, June 10

A meeting of pensioners associated with the Punjab State Pensioners and Senior Citizens’ Welfare Association was held at Ram Bagh here on Monday.

Association president Madan Gopal and general secretary Madan Lal Manan cautioned the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government that if the government would not fulfil the genuine demands of pensioners and employees of the state government, it will have to face the same fate in the MC elections, the panchayat elections and the 2027 Assembly elections as it faced in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Nirmal Singh Anand and Sukhdev Raj Kalia said more than seven lakh pensioners and employees’ families are facing discrimination as their pending 12 per cent dearness allowance and the arrears of the Pay Commission from January 2016 to June 2021 have not been released so far. Principal Baldev Singh, Kartar Singh MA and Braham Dev were angry over non-implementation of the old pension scheme in letter and spirit despite the issuance of notification.

Satnam Singh Pakharpura said the non-implementation of cashless medical facilities and undue delay in clearing medical reimbursement bills has caused unrest among the pensioners and employees of the state government. Principal Sohan Lal said the next line of action will be finalized in the meeting of Punjab State Pensioners’ Confederation to be held in Ludhiana on June 12.