Punjab Government staff get paid after week's delay

Chandigarh, September 7

After a week’s delay, the state today released the salaries to its employees. The pending dues of sugarcane farmers and power subsidy to the PSPCL, too, was released.

Even as the Opposition parties took on the government over the delay in release of salaries, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said the financial health of the state was “well-maintained and treasury had released more than Rs 3,400 crore today”.

In a statement issued here, the FM said payments, including salaries of government employees, were delayed as the state was gearing up for revival of special drawing facility as per the CSF/GRF guidelines and norms by the Reserve Bank of India.

Thanking the government employees and other stakeholders for bearing with the state government, Cheema said treasury had released Rs 2,719 crore, including salaries and GPF, besides releasing Rs 600 crore to the PSPCL as power subsidy and Rs 75 crore to Sugarfed.

Rejecting rumours regarding any financial crunch or crisis, Cheema said the majority of the pending payments had been made with today’s release by the treasury and any other pending payments would be released within a few days. He said the delay in payments was due to a financial exercise done to ensure financial welfare of the state in long term.

Cheema said it was an open secret that Punjab was reeling under financial mess when they gained people’s referendum in March 2022. “Now, the state government has been putting all efforts to revive the fiscal health of the state besides fulfilling the guarantees given to the people of the state,” he added.

Rally on Sept 14

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Rs 689 cr revenue deficit grant to Punjab

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