Employee bodies in Punjab questioned the delayed payment of salaries for August, prompting criticism from the Opposition. The Punjab government, however, denied any financial crunch.
During a visit to Haryana’s Hisar with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the salary would be paid to government employees by Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the delay was the result of a “financial exercise” to ensure the state’s welfare.
“A majority of the pending payments have been made with today’s release by the treasury and any other pending payments will be released within a few days,” Cheema said dismissing claims of a financial crunch.
He further said: “Payments including salaries were delayed as the state was gearing up for the revival of a special drawing facility as per the norms of the Reserve Bank of India.”
According to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, there was no shortage of funds, and the Treasury released more than Rs 3,400 crore for salaries and other payments. Officials reported that the salaries of Group C and D staff have already been paid.
Meanwhile, Democratic Teachers’ Front president Vikram Dev Singh said that already one week has passed and government employees have not yet received their salaries.
“With the non-payment of salary, how an employee will repay loans?” asked Singh.
He further said: “The Aam Aadmi Party before coming to power had blamed the previous government for mismanagement. But since it is in power now, its mismanagement has come to light.”
Sukhchain Singh Khaira, the chairman of the Punjab Civil Secretariat Staff Association, also said that the employees have not yet received their salaries.
The opposition parties, however, alleged that the government does not have enough funding for employee salaries but has money for advertisement.
“This government is without vision. It has money for spending on advertisements but not for paying salary to government employees,” said Punjab BJP general secretary Jeevan Gupta.
Considering that the state government had been claiming an increase in tax revenue in the current fiscal, Gupta asked why salaries were being delayed.
“If the revenue of the government has gone up, then why is it borrowing funds? If the revenue has risen, then why cannot pay salaries,” he asked.
The AAP government was also criticised by Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira.
“Those propagating the Delhi model from rooftops have failed to pay salary to employees of Punjab for the month of August. This is your pitiable financial plight after being six months in office,” said Khaira.
By the end of the 2022-23 financial year, the salary bill of Punjab is projected to be Rs 31,171 crore.
