CHANDIGARH: Giving in to pressure from various employee organisations, the Punjab government on Wednesday agreed to give a minimum raise of 15% to every employee.
The government has also accorded approval to restoring the allowances at the revised rates, which will lead to almost doubling of the present allowances. The move will cost the state exchequer over and above Rs 1,000 crore per annum.
The decision was taken by the oversight committee of ministers formed by CM Captain Amarinder Singh to resolve the grievances of the state government employees.
State to pay 4,692cr per annum more to employees, pensioners
The government has also considered the doctors’ demand of restoring the non-practising allowance (NPA) with their basic pay at the rate of 20%. The government doctors are at loggerheads with the state government over its earlier decision of not treating NPA as pay or emoluments for another purpose.
The Punjab government had started paying NPA from 2011 at the rate of 25% of the basic pay on the pattern of central government with an aim of retaining doctors in the government service and to halt the exodus of medical professionals from the country.
The state government will pay an additional Rs 4,692 crore per annum to about 2.85 lakh employees as well as 3.7 lakh pensioners.
With this, each employee and pensioner on average will get Rs 79,250 per annum over and above what they are getting.
In addition, these employees and pensioners will also get an arrear of Rs 13,759 crore.
