Enhanced HRA for Punjab staff

Asserting that he was running a pro-employee government, Badal said that he had accepted in full, the report of the 4th pay commission and had implemented it in effect from January 1, 1996.

The pay scales of the Punjab government employees, he claimed, were among the best in the country and in fact, employees of certain states, including HP, were demanding pay scales on the “Punjab pattern”.

The employees were being given a fixed medical allowance of Rs. 250 per month, 6 per cent of the basic pay as rural area allowance and 5 per cent house rent allowance in rural areas. The accounts of the general provident fund (GPF) had been transferred to districts in acceptance of a long-pending demand.

The Chief Minister said a committee had been constituted to go into the pay anomalies and its report would be put up before the cabinet for review. He also called upon the employees to do some introspection, as there was need to check growing absenteeism and graft in offices.

Ram Jethmalani, Union urban development Minister, calling Punjab the “sword arm” country, said that had always championed the cause of Punjab and Punjabis and at times, he was also run down by critics on this issue. The Union government, he said had decided to build 20 lakh dwelling units for the poor every year.

Union Minister for Fertilisers, Surjit Singh Barnala, addressing the conference, regretted that three separate functions had been organised by different organisations in the city in observance of May day as “Bhai Lalo day”.

Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee President Gurcharan Singh Tohra advocated an increase in education cess on liquor. He said the Rs 2 cess on every bottle of liquor was generating a revenue of Rs 16 crore.Prominent among others who addressed the conference included Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Akali MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, Punjab Minister of State for Printing and Stationery, Surjit Singh Kohli and Sub-ordinate Services Selection Board Chairman, Jagdev Singh Sandhu.

Factions of PSSF led by Charanjit Singh Walia and Malvinder Singh and the Punjab Mazdoor Dal, organised their conference separately.

All senior Akali leaders, including the Chief Minister, SGPC chief G.S. Tohra and Union Minister S.S. Barnala attended these conferences.The PSSF passed resolutions demanding enhancing of IT exemption limit to Rs one lakh, restoration of withdrawn allowances like Kandi area allowance, bet area and border area allowance, fixation of Rs 3,000 per month as minimum wages for industrial and factory workers, and filling up of vacant posts.Charanjit Singh Walia was re-elected as the president of the PSSF faction led by him, by a voice vote.