Chandigarh: Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Thursday promised to raise dearness allowance (DA) for state govt employees to 63%, matching the Centre’s rate, if the party wins the 2027 Assembly elections.Dhillon made the promise after the Union Cabinet approved a 3-percentage-point DA hike for central govt employees, from 60% to 63%. He accused the AAP govt of withholding employees’ dues, saying Punjab’s DA rate had yet to reach 60%.He said the Punjab and Haryana high court had directed the state to bring DA on a par with the Centre’s rate but the order remained unimplemented. The court imposed a Rs 1 lakh fine on the govt on Oct 27, he claimed, adding that the state’s special leave petition before the Supreme Court remained on the defect list. He also promised payment of pending DA arrears.Dhillon said the Centre’s Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme could revive Jalandhar’s industry, which he claimed accounts for 60% of India’s sports goods production but has lost 40% of its units.He said the Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme could cut export costs for Punjab’s hosiery, bicycle and sports goods industries, while the PM’s Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana would strengthen more than 13,000 panchayats through training and greater authority for elected representatives.
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