DTF asks govt to pay salaries pending since month of April

Members of the district unit of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) on Saturday demanded the state government to disburse salaries and retirement benefits of government employees, including teachers. They put forth this demand as after many months of retirement, employees of the Punjab Government are forced to wait for the payment of the amount deposited for future financial security during their service period.

Ashwini Awasthi, state finance secretary and district president of the DTF, said the Punjab Government’s Finance Department could not make payments of the bills of pensioners, who retired in November and December last year and those in service are waiting for clearance of GPF final, GPF advance, GIS, ex-gratia, leave encashment till the end of March this year.

“Only the bills deposited in the treasury till April 24 could be paid in the current financial year. After this, the bills deposited in the treasury till July have not been paid. The salary bills whose tokens are dated July 1, 2025, have been verbally banned, meaning that salaries could not be paid by the government till date,” said Awasthi.

He said since the beginning of financial year 2025-26, the state government has been disbursing the salaries of its employees with delay every month. “The state government, which has promised to have a full treasury, seems incapable of paying the dues of pensioners and employees and the amount deposited in the GPF account during its service period. Employees and pensioners are also forced to wait for months for retirement benefits and other incentives,” he said.

The leaders held the state government and the Finance Department responsible for payment delays and demanded from the Punjab Government that all types of bills pending in the treasury should be paid immediately with 18 per cent interest for late payment.

Amritsar