Overview
- The statewide ‘Maha Hartal’ on Thursday saw mass casual leave by unions and pensioners that left many government offices deserted and forced outpatient departments at several public hospitals to suspend routine services.
- Unions under the Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch demand payment of pending 18% dearness allowance arrears, reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme and regularisation of contractual staff.
- Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has refused talks while the strike continues and a scheduled meeting with union representatives was cancelled, prompting unions to escalate protests with effigy-burning on Friday.
- A Punjab and Haryana High Court order of August 3 set a 15-day deadline to clear DA arrears and prescribes 6% simple interest if missed; the state says it inherited a ₹14,191 crore liability and has cleared over ₹6,000 crore under a court-approved plan but reports limited fiscal headroom.
- The personnel department has asked heads to list unauthorised absentees for action, a move that raises the risk of disciplinary measures and amplifies political stakes for the Mann government ahead of the assembly polls.