TNNGovt offices in the district witnessed disruption on Thursday as employees of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU) began a two-day pen-down and computer shutdown strike to press for the fulfilment of their long-pending financial and service-related demands. The protest caused considerable inconvenience to residents.Balwinder, who had come to get a countersignature on his police verification report, said, “I have to go abroad and need these documents urgently. The two-day strike will upset my entire schedule, leading to long delays. It is strange that strikes are organised so frequently.”Tarsem Singh, who had come from the Atam Nagar area regarding a property issue, said, “There are holidays coming up, and now the staff is on strike. How will I get my documents?”The employees are boycotting routine official work, including clerical activities and computer-based operations, which is expected to delay file processing and the delivery of administrative services.The agitation comes a day after chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced an additional 3% dearness allowance (DA) for govt employees and pensioners as a Diwali gift. The announcement raises the DA rate from 50% to 53% and is expected to benefit around eight lakh employees and pensioners.However, this has failed to satisfy employee organisations, which maintain that the increase does not address the substantial DA arrears accumulated over several years.Employees are demanding payment of all pending DA instalments and arrears, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), reinstatement of 37 discontinued allowances, among other demands.Employee representatives argue that the latest 3% DA announcement cannot be treated as a settlement of accumulated arrears.Union district president Sandeep Singh said the 3% increase announced by the govt was insufficient, as their main demands were pending arrears and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.Employee organisations have urged the govt to fulfil its previous commitments regarding pension security and restore the scheme for govt employees.
